Future Echoes
by DZR
Summary: Ashley has a brilliant idea. Go back in time and change everyones messed up history. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

You don't have to have read my other fic to read this but it does carry on some themes from it. Ashley can teleport, oh and she's not dead.

* * *

**Future Echoes**

"_The place became full of a watchful intentness now; for when other things sank brooding to sleep the heath appeared slowly to awake and listen." _

_**Thomas Hardy – The Return of the Native**_

Chapter 1

A clock chimed four times in the dark and wind and cold. The grounds of the Sanctuary seemed to hold a deeper and more mysterious darkness within its boundary walls than that found in the night sky. To those with a sense for it, there was magic in the air this night.

A dark clothed figure slipped into this otherworld through the gate, shutting it carefully behind. Hastily they crossed the open ground watching all around for signs of life. A key was used to unlock the side door and then enter the sleeping building.

The figure walked with silent confidence through the dark corridors, concentrating intently on their destination.

A ray of light was cast over the room as another door was opened. A hand reached through the door and pulled out a ready made sandwich.

"Nice one Mom," said Ashley in a whisper. She munched on the sandwich and grabbed a wedge of chocolate cake and a pint of milk and tried not to drop crumbs as she made her way to the stairwell. The elevator was out of bounds before 7am so the residents weren't disturbed by the rumbling machinery.

As she climbed the stairs she noticed a light coming from a room at the far end of the corridor. The room also referred to as her mothers study.

"Crap."

There was no way her mother didn't know exactly what time she'd got in, the woman had eyes like a hawk. 4am was a little late, even for Ashley, especially after recent events. She'd best check in to be on the safe side.

The bright artificial light slightly dazzled her as she entered the room. Helen Magnus looked up from her work at her daughter squinting in the doorway.

"Jeez, don't you ever sleep?" asked Ashley.

"Not while you're out until all hours, doing god knows what," came Magnus dry retort. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Sorry, I didn't realize I had to file a flight plan."

Magnus raised an eyebrow at the attitude. Ashley noticed and winced, that was a bit much.

"I was just out thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"About you."

Silently, they contemplated each other. Magnus wondering what exactly it was that her daughter thought of her and Ashley re-examining the decision she had come to in the deep night. Ashley smiled, a smile full of confidence, some might say arrogance.

"Seeing as you're up already," she said brightly, "I'll tell you. I've had a brilliant idea."

Magnus' eyebrow remained raised, Ashley's brilliant ideas were not renowned for their high success rate. Ashley put down the armful of midnight snacks, then thought better of it and shoved the sandwich and cake in her pocket. Magnus watched her curiously.

"I… I'll just show you instead."

She reached over, clasping her hand on her mothers arm and teleported.

* * *

Magnus, temporarily stunned, found herself flat on her back staring up at a cloudy grey sky. That had been no ordinary teleport. Not that teleporting was normal in the first place. Her head was reeling from the journey through space. She attempted to push herself up off the ground but lost her balance and crumpled back to the ground. Next to her mother, Ashley was curled up on the brick surface they had landed on, her teeth gritted and eyes closed, trying to ride out the roar of the ride, hold back the pain and keep control. A few drops of blood dripped from her nose.

Magnus managed to get to her knees and stared out over the wall ahead, the look on her face one of total disbelief. She looked across the London skyline. In the distance stood St. Paul's cathedral and to the south the beginning of Tower Bridge, covered in scaffolding, under construction. They were in London.

They were in London in the 1880's.


	2. Chapter 2

_I have a problem with this fic. I am more than a little fuzzy on the Victorian set timeline of events from this show and I've also lent my S1 dvd's to someone who still hasn't returned them. You know who you are. If I am completely wrong about when and where certain events occur and someone can enlighten me that would be greatly appreciated. Once Ashley starts messing with the timeline, I claim artistic licence to set things wherever and whenever I like =D_

* * *

Chapter 2

Henry strolled down the corridor whistling 'Peter and the wolf', on his way to his 9am meeting with Magnus. He had woken in an exceptionally good mood that morning. It was a new moon, as far away from his 'problem' as he could get and he'd slept like a baby. Ashley hadn't been down for breakfast so there had been no need to fight for his favourite cereal, extra sugary Lucky Charms. He'd taken advantage of her absence and had two bowls, nothing like a sugar rush to wake you up in the morning. He anticipated a day of working on his new computer program designed to tighten up the EM sensor systems and the latest edition of his favourite comic book was released that day, it should come in the morning post. Life was all good. He walked into the office and looked around expectantly.

"Uh, hello?"

He looked around the room, slightly puzzled. There was no sign of Magnus. That was odd. Ashley was an early riser and was probably out causing mayhem somewhere already, but Magnus? He supposed she could be with a patient or dealing with a resident. Still, it was unusual. She was never late and always drummed into him and Ashley the appreciation for punctuality. His eyes rested on the pint of milk perched on the edge of the desk.

"Magnus?" he called on the walkie talkie.

Magnus' walkie talkie crackled and screeched with feedback from her desk next to him. Frowning, he wandered off to the lab to search for Magnus, bumping into Will in the corridor outside the study.

"Hey Will, you seen Magnus? I'm supposed to have a meeting with her but she's not in her study and she doesn't have her walkie talkie."

"No, sorry. Have you tried the lab?

"I'm on my way there. I haven't seen Ashley this morning, either."

"I expect she's out beating someone up already."

"Yeah, I expect so."

They walked onto the elevator but the doors were prevented from shutting by Bigfoot.

"Where's Magnus?" he demanded.

"Why? What's up?" asked Will.

"She's not here."

"I'm getting that vibe, yeah," agreed Henry.

"Ashley's bed hasn't been slept in, neither has Magnus'."

Will and Henry exchanged a worried glance, this was getting steadily more alarming.

There was no sign of the Magnus pair all over the Sanctuary, no reply from their phones and no signs of anything unusual or a struggle. They returned to the study to search for clues, a note of explanation. All they found was a lonely pint of milk.

Will found his ego slightly bruised as Bigfoot took charge. When it came to Magnus' the Big Guy did not mess about.

"Henry, search the security camera footage. Check the sensor readings for anything unusual."

Henry typed furiously into the computer on Magnus' desk and pulled up the security camera footage, scrolling through it as fast as he could without missing anything. At the same time on another monitor he checked the sensor readings for the perimeter.

"Perimeter sensors read normal. There's been no unauthorised entry to the Sanctuary. There's nothing exceptional on the cameras. Ashley entering the grounds at 4am, moving from the kitchen to Magnus' study, then nothing. They didn't come out of here and there's no camera actually in the study, we can just see the door outside."

"What about the EM field?" asked Will.

"It's offline. Magnus said I could have a 24 hour window to upgrade the new sensor system."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Will, grimly.

"Yeah, I'm not being the one to tell Druitt we lost them," said Henry, fervently. Will looked worried at that thought.

"I wasn't thinking that. What if he's the one who took them?"

"C'mon man, give him the benefit of the doubt. They've been getting along recently. Ashley told me he's OK, that's why Magnus let me temporarily turn off the EM field."

"Do you think we should call him? Maybe he knows something about this," growled Bigfoot.

"Which is worse? We tell him we've lost them and he goes serial killer on us? Or, he finds out they're missing and we didn't tell him, and goes serial killer on us?" pondered Henry.

"I'm not calling him," declared Will, "He doesn't like me."

"Well I'm not calling him either," said Henry.

"You should, seeing how you like him so much," needled Will.

"It's Ashley that likes him not me."

Bigfoot growled in frustration at their petty quarrelling.

"OK, OK, I'll do it," said Henry. "I'm not chicken," he muttered, still searching the computer.

"Does anyone know why there's a pint of milk on the table?" asked Will.

They all stared at it but it said nothing, giving up no clues.

"I guess some things are beyond even your detective skills," sniggered Henry. Bigfoot smacked him around the back of the head.

"Get on the phone. Will, go and check the garage and see if there are any vehicles missing."

"What are you going to do?" asked Will, still put out he wasn't in charge.

"Put this milk back in the fridge, then contact the Sanctuary network and ask them to keep a look out for anything unusual. When you're done maybe you could call your friends at the police department and do the same."

"That would be a very good idea," acknowledged Will as they split up and went about their separate tasks.

Henry sat at Magnus' desk and looked at the telephone in front of him. Don't be silly, he thought, phones don't bite, just the people on the other end of them. He flicked through the phone index in front of him. Magnus refused to use an electronic database for her contacts. He flicked to the 'D's. Nothing for Druitt. He flicked to the 'J's. There was a John. Just John, no other indication of which John in the whole world it might be. He took a deep breath and picked up the phone, his hand shaking a little.

"Hi, Mr Druitt? It's Henry from the Sanctuary. No, no, everything is fine, really, Ashley's fine, Magnus is fine. Well, actually that's why I'm calling, there's a slight problem and they might not be completely fine."

A clap of air whooshed around the room blowing papers off the desk and onto the floor. Druitt teleported in front of the desk a terrified Henry sat behind. He towered over Henry fixing a lethal gaze on him and thundered at him.

"Where are they?!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Open mouthed at the vista before her and all it implied, Magnus turned to Ashley who had struggled to her knees next to her. Overcome by the rigorous teleport she threw up and when she finished retching, sat back against the wall and returned the stare her mother was giving her. She wiped a trickle of blood from her nose and looked at her hand with a frown.

"That's not good."

Magnus pushed aside the unusual situation she found herself in and rushed to Ashley's side, wiping sick and blood off her like she were a baby.

"I'm all right Mom, really. I think. Oh, the sky's spinning." And she threw up again.

They sat patiently awhile, backs against the wall, waiting for the ground to stop spinning and their wits to catch up with their bodies.

"Ashley?" said Magnus, feeling a little delicate herself.

"Mom," she answered faintly.

"Where are we?"

"I hope we're in London or we're probably screwed."

"_When_ are we?"

She sighed, she should have known her mother would catch on quickly.

"1880's sometime, I think. We'd better be, it's your fault if we're not."

"My fault? How do you work that out?"

"It's your photo."

"I think your brain may have turned to mush."

"It feels like it has," Ashley pulled out Druitt's silver locket with Helens picture inside. "This photo." Magnus took it from her and sighed as she recognised the locket and the photograph inside. "I used it to focus on and jumped to it."

"Where did you get this?" Magnus asked, knowing full well the answer.

"I borrowed it."

"Does he know you borrowed it?"

"Probably."

"What is the purpose of our being here exactly?"

Ashley looked at her mother, her eyes still wild with a cosmic wind, swirling particles from the teleport were still settling in her mind.

"I want you to have a chance at a normal life. Start again."

"I don't understand. You want us to live here?"

"No. I want us to change what happened here."

"Pardon me?"

"Dad's cracked in the head and you're lonely. We can change history. You can have a normal, happy life."

Magnus sat and thought for a moment, letting the news sink in. Ashley waited patiently for the inevitable outburst. Sure enough, it came.

"I don't believe I'm hearing this, or seeing this," she waved an arm indicating their location. "What's the matter with you?"

"I think I've got travel sickness," said Ashley, swaying slightly. Magnus had no sympathy for her.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and once again you have done it without thinking. What makes you think if we change anything here it will affect us? It may change their lives," meaning her 1880's counterpart, "but what if after it's done we're still standing here, with this life, with these thoughts? Or do you expect us to just fade away? Take us home right now."

"Slight technical hitch."

The look in Magnus' eyes could have stopped the Earth from spinning. Ashley avoided her gaze.

"I don't know how to get back."

There was a deathly silence, then.

"Pardon me?"

Ashley tried to steady her breathing, she was feeling sick again.

"What are you talking about?" reiterated Magnus. "Just teleport us back."

"I can't. I thought of you in the photo the day it was taken, that's how we got here."

"So think of me back in the present."

"I can't. You're here."

"I swear to god Ashley..." she took a deep breath, feeling shock and a little anxiety creeping up in her. "Can you get us back another way?"

"I need a reason to jump. Something to jump to."

"What about your father?"

"I don't know, he's kinda scary, and I don't feel very well."

Magnus looked at her in horror as the harsh reality seeped in.

"What were you thinking!?"

"I want you to be happy!"

Anyone else would have been gasping like a fish out of water at the absurdly hopeless situation. Not so Helen Magnus, her mind was whirring at a million miles an hour.

"Why did you bring me with you? You could have just teleported here and changed events yourself."

"I wanted to ask you first. Make sure you agreed to it. I don't want to do it without you knowing."

It took a second for the absurdity of this statement to register.

"Agree? You wanted me to agree to this? You want my permission?" Her temper rose and shook off her initial anxieties. "I can tell you right now young lady, without any shadow of a doubt, I, in no way, shape or form agree, approve or am in any way impressed with this mindless, reckless, logically inept so called 'brilliant idea' of yours."

Ashley put her head in her hands as her mother ranted at her.

"Can you stop shouting at me please? I'm not going to listen if you shout, my head hurts."

"Listen? Listen!?! Chance would be a fine thing."

Ashley closed her eyes as Magnus went on.

"This is the most juvenile, unbelievably stupid thing you have ever done. Wait until we get home, there'll be no more bloody teleporting I can tell you right now..."

And on and on.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Henry stood up and faced John Druitt. His worries for the time being overrode his natural fear of the man.

"G-glad you could make it. Um..." he tried to find the right words, to put this delicately and hopefully not infuriate the erstwhile psychopath in front of him.

He needn't have worried. His anxiety and near panic were palpable and Druitt realised immediately that Henry was indeed a very distressed young man. He attempted to put Henry at ease, he'd found from past experience that people often made no sense when they were scared.

"Henry?"

"Yes?" he gulped.

"Calm down, sit down, and tell me what's happened."

Henry took a deep breath and flopped down in the chair, thankful Druitt appeared reasonable and not quite ready to freak out on him. He slid forward and perched on the edge of the seat as though ready to jump up if he needed to move quickly, just in case. He explained the situation the three Sanctuary team members had found themselves in that morning.

"Do you have any idea where they are?" asked Druitt, puzzled.

Henry shook his head.

"They didn't mention anything? A project they were working on? A new case?"

"No, nothing. It's been really quiet around here recently. Even quieter now Ashley's not here," he said, almost mournfully.

He had been so happy when Druitt had returned her from the future. Her 'death' had affected him deeply. They'd happily fallen right back into their old routine, Ashley antagonising him and him looking out for her, best of friends, older brother and little sister. Only this time they knew how important they were to each other.

Bigfoot and Will joined them in the study, both surprised to see Druitt there. They'd only been gone ten minutes at most.

"Gentlemen," acknowledged Druitt, not forgetting his manners. "I understand you have a problem."

"Do you know where they are? Can you help," growled Bigfoot, getting straight to the point. He had no time for niceties when his people were missing.

"There aren't any vehicles missing from the garage," reported Will.

"Where did you see them last?" asked Druitt.

"In here, in the study. We saw Ashley enter on the security cameras," said Henry. "And Magnus was already in here."

"Let me see the footage," said Druitt.

Henry brought up the security file on the computer screen and replayed the moment Ashley entered the room. He paused it.

"That's it, there's no more. They didn't leave."

"Continue the video Henry," requested Druitt.

They watched the empty corridor outside Magnus' study. No one entered the room after Ashley and no one came out. Two minutes after Ashley entered the room there was a flicker of the light shining from the study door.

"Did you see that?" exclaimed Will. "What was that?"

Henry replayed the scene again. A momentary brightening of the light from the study, over in a flash. A flash?

"That," frowned Druitt, "was a result of interference from a teleport. Ashley has teleported Helen somewhere."

"So they're not in danger?" Henry sounded relieved.

Druitt looked at him.

"Ashley has no control over her teleporting ability. As far as she is concerned it is ruled by emotion and instinct, and as I was once informed, Helen is _always_ in danger."

"Can you go check on them?" asked Will.

He considered Ashley increasingly unstable since she had discovered her ability. This judgement could be clouded somewhat by the fact she refused to talk to him about her recent experiences despite his persistence. It was like hitting his head against a brick wall. At least recently she seemed to have calmed down somewhat under her mothers influence.

Druitt's stare pierced into Will, this boy was remarkably thick for someone Helen regarded as a protege.

"I don't know where they," he said, stating the obvious. He should have added, 'You fool', to the end of that sentence, he thought.

"Try and focus on Magnus and Ashley," growled Bigfoot. "Like you did before."

Will dared to venture his thoughts further.

"We have no other way of knowing where they are or if they're all right. If you can think of another way..."

"Let me get this straight," he snapped at the two men and Bigfoot assembled before him. "You want me to jump into the ether with no destination in mind?" Druitt's eyes narrowed as he observed Will. "Are you sure this isn't a ploy to kill me Doctor?"

Will swallowed and said nothing.

"I swear its not," piped up Henry, earnestly.

Druitt looked at Henry who gazed unflinchingly back with a hopeful expression. Druitt knew that Helen and Ashley considered him family and it appeared the feeling was mutual. He could see the fear in Henry's eyes, and it wasn't directed at him. He was impressed with what he had seen of this young man. He was sincere, honest and brave enough to call him for help, putting Ashley and Helen first. Another good point in his books. Things must be bad if they'd called him for help.

"I will try," he directed the response toward Henry.

"Here," said Will, offering him a framed photo from Magnus' desk. It was a recent photograph of Magnus and Ashley laughing at some joke, an informal shot of the two together. Druitt wondered who had taken the snap.

"I do not need it, thank you Doctor," said Druitt. He only had to close his eyes to see them.

"Wait, wait, wait," said Henry. "Do you want a gun? Or take a GPS tracker with you. If you run into trouble, we can help or extract you if we have to."

"I don't like guns," said Druitt. More accurately he didn't _need _guns. Which was the exact same thought crossing Will's mind. "And who needs GPS when you can teleport? If I could have the room please gentlemen, I would like to concentrate."

Henry was the last one out and lingered in the doorway. Druitt looked questioningly at him.

"Tell Ashley, she's a doofus."

Druitt grinned at him, a prefect match with Ashley's own grin.

"Tell her yourself when she gets back."

Henry nodded smiling, and closed the door after him.

Will, Henry and Bigfoot stood in the hallway outside the study and waited, for what they weren't sure.

"How long do we wait here?" asked Will.

"For as long as it takes," growled Bigfoot.

Henry leaned against the wall and tapped his foot. He felt marginally happier now that Druitt was in the mix and helping to look for them. The knowledge that Ashley was probably responsible for their disappearance was not such good news. No one could seek out trouble as easily and often as she could and invariably did. At least they hadn't been kidnapped by dark forces or evil cabal minions. A sound like a muffled thunderclap came from the study. Nervously, Henry stuck his head around the door.

"He's gone!"

"Now what?" asked Will. "What if he doesn't come back either?"

"What did you have to say that for?" said Henry, alarmed at the thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A jolt of recognition distracted Magnus from her torrent of frustration at Ashley and she left her alone with her head in her hands to take another look at their surroundings.

"We're on the roof of my house," she said, surprised. Ashley looked up and around.

"I guess you must be nearby. The other you I mean."

"We can't stay on the roof, we'll have to go inside and change clothes."

"Change clothes. Why?"

"You'll get locked up dressed in your bike leathers."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Did you consider the era at all when you decided to come here?" asked Magnus, exasperated, as she leaned over the edge of the roof, looking for a way down.

Ashley opened her mouth to reply but didn't have time to get the words out before Druitt materialised on the roof in front of them. Both women jumped in shock.

"Oh my god, I think my heart just stopped," squeaked Ashley.

"Dear god, John," said Magnus, as he scanned the rooftop for any evidence of danger.

"We're gonna have to put a bell around your neck. I nearly died of fright," exclaimed Ashley.

As they regained their composure a frown remained on his face as he cocked his head to the side and attempted to quieten the rushing noise in his head. The two women remained where they were, without advancing on him or making any unnecessary movements until they had a better measure of his mental stability.

"Hi," prompted Ashley, warily, noting his distraction and guessing what it was.

"Hello," he said calmly, but with an unintentional glower.

"How did you find us?" Magnus asked, cautiously.

"Your man Henry called me, he was worried. You're bleeding," he said, pointing to Ashley's nose from which, as though on cue, fell a drop of blood. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, it's from the teleport. You look OK though. Are you all right?" Ashley squinted at him looking for adverse effects. "How come it doesn't affect you?"

"What makes you think it doesn't affect me?" He asked. A cloud crossed his eyes that hadn't been there the last time she saw him. The sight of her blood seemed to affect him in some way and he shook away the shadow which had blanketed his mind for a moment.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" he asked them, puzzled. They didn't appear to be in any danger. He noticed Magnus rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly. He turned to Ashley, questioningly.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. I admit, I didn't think it out properly but my heart was in the right place."

"What have you done? Please don't tell me this is one of your masterful plans?"

"Kind of."

"Oh good lord."

"Hey, don't judge. You don't know the facts."

"Where are we?"

"Victorian London."

"I beg your pardon?"

"London. 1880's. It's all cool. We've got a plan."

He closed his eyes for a second.

"I was under the impression you were in trouble."

"We are. We're trapped here!" said Magnus.

"I meant, in danger. Now I'm stuck here too."

"Plan A," said Ashley, determined to explain her plan to a possibly more co-operative accomplice.

"Oh dear god, not this again."

Ashley glared at him for interrupting.

"Will you take my blood for treatment?" she snapped at him.

"No."

"Have you found a cure yet?"

"No," he admitted.

"I have," she beamed, and then with a hint of smugness. "We're going to steal the source blood before it gets used and destroy it."

He just looked at her, slowly absorbing this information.

"You want to destroy the source blood?" he repeated, as though not believing his ears. She nodded. He looked at Magnus.

"Please don't encourage her," she muttered under her breath.

He glared at his daughter with an unsettling silence. This did not bode well, realised Ashley. Gritting his teeth Druitt managed to remain calm, on the outside.

"Firstly, that boy is out of his mind with worry."

"What boy?"

"Henry. He even went so far as to call _me_ for help. They're expecting me to find and return you from wherever you are. They think you've been kidnapped or are in some unimaginable danger," his voice got progressively louder until he was almost shouting. "You left no notice or even mentioned you were planning a trip to the other side of two centuries and I think we need to talk about your time-porting problem not to mention complete lack of common sense!"

"I don't _have_ a problem," she interjected indignantly as he paused for breath, trying to avoid further telling off.

"You keep getting bloody well stuck in different times! And that's not even mentioning that your plan will never work," he frowned. "You can't change the past or everyone would be doing it."

"Yeah and time travel is impossible as well," said Ashley sarcastically. "Jeez, I'll put you both down for a no then shall I?"

She jumped slightly in surprise as Druitt leaned over and wiped a drop of blood from Ashley's nose.

"First thing's first. We need to get you cleaned up," said Magnus standing at his shoulder. She wasn't enjoying seeing Druitt take Ashley down a peg or two, but it was satisfying not to be the only one trying to drum some sense into her. "We can use the lab in the house. Come on."

Magnus took Ashley's shoulder. Temporarily deflated Ashley decided to keep the peace and go along without a fuss, relatively speaking.

"Is it clean? It's the 1880's. I'm not having anything that's not been sterilised."

"This isn't the dark ages Ashley. I am a qualified doctor even in the 1880's. We can change clothes as well."

"What? Steal clothes from your own house? What about him?" nodding toward Druitt.

"There'll be a change of clothes there for him too."

"Mom, I am shocked," teased Ashley, thinking that actually there was potential to have a lot of fun with this. "Is this going to be massively awkward for you?"

"Undoubtedly."

Magnus was rescued from further teasing by a horse drawn carriage which pulled up in the street in front of the house. Ashley nearly fell off the roof leaning over, absolutely enraptured by the scene below. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh. My. God."

Magnus and Druitt tried to avoid each others eye. They all peered over the edge of the roof at the sight below, and watched a couple get out of the carriage.

A smartly dressed, younger version John Druitt opened the carriage door for a stunning, blonde haired Helen Magnus. She took his arm and climbed out of the carriage.

"Wow! What are you wearing Mom?" said Ashley and then, "You've got hair!" She squealed with delight at her floppy haired father below.

John walked Helen to the door, they stared into each others eyes talking quietly, for what to Druitt and Magnus seemed an age too long and for Ashley was too short a time, she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. John then kissed her hand in farewell and Helen entered the house. John walked back to the carriage and drove off.

Ashley leaned over the roof watching the carriage drive away with delighted grin on her face. Annoyed at finding herself somewhat flustered by the scene, Magnus said quickly.

"I'll go and get the medical supplies. I know where everything is. Wait here." She walked off hurriedly, jumped down to the next level of the roof and made her way to a skylight window leading to the attic. She called back, "Do not leave this roof. I mean it Ashley."

"OK, OK."

"John, make sure she doesn't run off."

Ashley smirked, then looked around as though searching for something.

"What is that god awful smell?" she asked, wrinkling her nose up.

"That, is the smell of London," explained Druitt, taking a deep breath of the familiar smog.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ashley sat on the base of a chimney stack for once quiet and subdued. She had finally seen for herself firsthand, if only for a moment, how happy John and Helen were together. That moment would stay with her forever, firmly imprinted in her psyche. She realised what should have been, what could have been and how perfect they were for each other. She had never seen either of them look as truly happy as they had on the steps below. She couldn't believe how wrong it was all going to go.

Magnus came back out onto the roof with medical supplies to find her in quiet contemplation and Druitt looking out over the bustling streets of Victorian London, lost in thought.

"Are you all right?" asked Magnus, noticing Ashley's distracted air.

"Hmmm," she said, not really listening.

Magnus examined Ashley and tended to her persistent nosebleed while Ashley watched her father staring off into space, she wondered what was he thinking. The wind got up and she put her hands in her pockets to keep them from the cold.

"Eew, gross." She pulled out a squashed sandwich and a flattened piece of what was once cake. "Is there anything to eat inside?" she asked her mother.

"I wasn't looking. There were voices coming from the library, so I took what I could and left. We can however, go inside and use the attic for a while. It hasn't been used for years, no one ever goes up there."

"What about weapons? Any weapons in there?" asked Ashley, nodding towards the house.

"We don't need weapons, we're in London."

"You never know who you'll meet in a dark alley," she said, glancing at Druitt. "Do they have guns yet?" Druitt turned and met her glance. Ashley noticed his scar on his right cheek. "I guess so."

Her determination to carry out her plan had been renewed now she had a better idea of the truth. It was solidly founded on fact this time not the dreams and imaginings she had conjured up beforehand of how they had been. She was going to do this.

"I want to do this," said Ashley quietly to her mother.

"What if it all went wrong?" asked Magnus. "What if 130 years worth of history was wiped out? What if something important was affected?"

"That's the whole idea!"

"Mad dogs and Englishmen," muttered Druitt, cryptically.

"And what about everyone else in the world whose lives would be changed? What about you? It's your life too," asked Magnus, still kneeling in front of her.

"Whatever happens to you, I'm sure I'll follow."

"You'd be miserable here."

"Only if you dragged me to those Shakespeare plays. If you don't like it we can always try my original idea."

"Which is?"

"Use my blood for treatment." They had been through this before. Druitt was adamant he would not take Ashley's blood.

"Do you want a happy ending, or to be happy it ended?" she asked them.

Neither of her parents had an answer.

"Here's the plan."

"No," said Magnus, taking control of the situation.

"No?"

"No. _Here_ is the plan. We are going to figure out how to get back to our own time."

"This _is_ your time," scowled Ashley, getting further and further wound up. "I'm doing this with or without your help. I brought you along because I thought you would help me and the last time I teleported somewhere I got stuck and I didn't want you to freak out. Injecting yourself with vampire blood is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. And you," she said rounding on her father. "Can you honestly tell me you didn't take the blood just because she did?"

His silence spoke volumes.

"Bloody stupid the both of you," she glared out at the sky unable to look at the two stubborn fools in front of her.

"Ashley," Magnus said calmly, trying to explain her position. "We made a choice to take the source blood no matter the consequences."

Ashley lost her temper, which was perhaps more easily achieved after the teleport.

"Not good enough. I can't believe how arrogant you were and you're still standing by that moronic decision."

Magnus looked as though she were about to admonish Ashley for her outburst but instead said gently.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."

"Sorry, I'm sorry," said Ashley, calming slightly at her mothers steady tones. She put her hands to her head. "I just want to fix this mess."

Druitt couldn't believe the mad plan he found himself standing at the edge of.

"This is insane. And that's saying something coming from me."

"You know what is insane?" snapped Ashley. "After I teleport, I can feel it ripping into my skull. I can't believe how much it hurts, or how you can do it so often. After a while it goes away, it heals and I'm OK, but then there's the kidnapping by the Cabal and the people who aren't OK. The 43 innocent people _I_ slaughtered, people some of who used to be friends." Magnus had tears in her eyes a she listened to ashley pour her heart out. "I don't want to be stuck like this, I don't want him to be stuck like this. It's my life too. I want this thing out of my head and out of yours. It's not fair. Why can't we all be happy? Why shouldn't we?" She paused for breath. "All we have to do is steal the blood," she persisted, for one sentence too far.

"That's it." Magnus had to shut down this crazy idea. "I've heard enough and had more than enough of this. John, take us back."

"No," yelled Ashley. "Stop making him teleport."

"Me making him teleport? You're the one who got us stuck in 19th century London!" They glowered at each other with identical expressions. Magnus stepped back first her mind whirring through the limited options available to them.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"I am?" Ashley looked puzzled. She was still buzzing from the huge effort of the teleport and her temper was not so easily switched off.

"John shouldn't be teleporting. For the time being teleporting to the future is out of the question, until you know what you're doing. We need to find somewhere to hide and settle until we find a way to safely return to the 21st century. Or, find someone who can help us, we can trust and more importantly someone who will believe us… dear god!"

"What?"

"I know why my father disappeared."

"Is that relevant?"

"Yes it is. He's going to help us," said Magnus, excited. A mystery which had plagued her all of her life had just become crystal clear.

Ashley shook her head in sheer exasperation. Her mother wasn't listening, wasn't hearing her argument. This would be so much easier if she had just come herself. She could just go and do it anyway. If they wouldn't cooperate, she'd find someone who would. She looked at her father. After his initial outburst, he had become subdued after witnessing his younger self with Helen. Maybe she could still get to him. Well, one version of him at least.

"Well that's great Mom, you do that," she snapped at her and angrily teleported away. Druitt and Magnus stared in dismay at the leaves swirling in the aftershock of the teleport, Magnus should have realised this had been inevitable.

"Can't you keep her in line?" asked Druitt, laconically.

Magnus gave him the patented Magnus 'look', which had an instantaneous freezing effect on everyone but John Druitt. She sighed and admitted.

"There's been no evidence of it so far."

"I don't think this will work even if we help her. Otherwise everyone would be doing it," he mused. "What's this?"

He bent down and picked a piece of paper up off the floor. In Ashley's messy scrawl were a list of names and addresses of each of the Five. It must have fallen out of her pocket.

"She's planned all of this."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

There was a knock at the door of the drawing room of a gentleman's residence. The room was relatively sparsely furnished. It was a room of action, of discussion, a practical space with no time for unnecessary, ornate furnishings or fancy fashionable decoration. A well used cricket bat rested in the corner of the room and some potted Aspidistra plants were placed near the desk at one of the windows. There were a few paintings on the walls, landscapes of far flung exotic locations, mountains, jungles, volcanoes, the stuff Victorian era explorers dreamt of. Along the length of the room ran a bookcase which stretched from floor to ceiling, full of tomes on every subject imaginable. A drinks cabinet stood in one corner of the room and a comfortable set of couches for guests.

Two men sat in the middle of the room, engrossed in the power struggle being played out on the chessboard between them. One of the men smoked a pipe, pausing every so often to utter "Hmmm," as he observed the board.

The knock went unanswered and eventually the door opened and the doorman to the building stuck his head around the corner.

"Mr Druitt? There is a young lady here to see you."

"Who is it?" he asked, not looking up from the game.

"She will not give her name sir, although she insists on speaking with you."

"Well, show her in, I suppose."

He turned to his companion with a puzzled expression, not knowing who his visitor was.

"Sir," the doorman paused with uncertainty. "The young lady is inappropriately attired."

"What the devil does that mean?" laughed John's companion as he clapped his hand on his friends shoulder. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time John? Send her in Smith so we can better get to the bottom of this mystery."

Smith returned to where he had left the young lady and led her to the drawing room.

Ashley realized with horror than John Druitt, mark 1, was not alone as he stood waiting for her. James Watson stood up from the chess game they had been engaged in as she entered. She could see them appraising her relatively odd appearance. Biker leathers were not common in Victorian London it would appear.

"I am John Druitt. May I help you Miss?" asked her floppy haired, mentally stable, one day soon to be, father.

Instantly, she liked this version of him, her mother had good taste after all. She realized she was staring straight into his unblinking blue eyes which looked back at her with an air of curiosity, and she hadn't yet answered his question. Try and remember some manners, she thought, as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She gulped, her throat dry all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize you were busy," she tried to backtrack, feeling flustered.

"My good friend James Watson," he said, introducing his chess partner.

She hadn't expected to have to deal with more than one of the Five. Christ, what if her mother had been there? She hadn't thought this through, as usual.

"And you are?" John prompted.

"Uh." Oh god oh god oh god. "Ashley."

"Ashley who?"

"Um, just Ashley," she said quietly, her heart was pounding in her chest, she felt sick with nerves.

"May I ask young lady, why you are so unusually attired?" asked her godfather, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Uh... I've been rehearsing, for a play. A musical."

"Does this play have a name?"

"Oh, it hasn't been released yet, we're still practicing. It's called... the Rocky Horror Picture Show," she blagged, panicking her way into the swing of the deception.

They exchanged a glance, they knew she was lying but to their gentlemanly credit, tried to look like they believed her.

"So Miss… Ashley. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Um, could we talk alone?"

"No offence Miss but I don't know you, I don't know what you could possibly want, I have never heard of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and this is all rather suspicious. Anything you could possibly have to say to me can be said in front of my friend. I'm afraid I must hurry you as I am expecting further company."

Ashley was getting agitated. She already felt like a fool, she may as well go the whole way, so she jumped into the unknown with both feet. She stood up to his unknowing challenge realising she wouldn't likely get another shot at this once her parents caught up with her.

"You are a member of 'the Five', as is J… Mr. Watson." That got their attention. "I've come to you, Montague John Druitt, because, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you're the only one of the Five with the slightest bit of sense."

James looked puzzled.

"Sense?"

Ashley glared at her godfather. This would probably be a lot easier if he weren't there.

"I thought you should make use of that sense before you lose it."

"What do you mean?" asked John.

"'The Five' have a vial of vampire blood in their possession."

"How do you know that?" asked Watson, shocked. "No one knows about that."

"It doesn't matter. I've come a long way to find you," she said earnestly to John. "Don't let anyone inject the serum. Destroy it."

John stared at her in disbelief. How could this strangely dressed, oddly spoken young girl know of their intentions.

"I beg your pardon?" he said, sounding thoroughly perplexed, running his hand through his hair as he always did when faced with a puzzle.

James frowned in thought. He was running through every possibility as to who this girl was and why she was asking this. He hadn't reached a reasonable answer yet. Ashley had eyes only for John.

"They are blinded by their greed for knowledge. They think any risk is acceptable. You're doing this because she is, aren't you? You must destroy it or you'll all be cursed for the rest of your lives."

John's eyes narrowed and he snapped out of the spell she had caught him in for a moment.

"What cursed nonsense is this? Smith!" He called for the doorman.

"No, you _have_ to listen to me. I came to you out of all the Five because you're the only one who can do this."

"This is madness. Where the hell is he? Smith!"

"You're not even considering this. That's the idea, to stop this madness," she begged him.

Smith entered the room.

"Smith, escort the young lady out."

He took her arm and she wrenched it from him furiously.

"No, get off me!"

"Wait," came a voice.

Ashley's heart stopped. She would recognize that voice anywhere. Oh crap. This just got messy.

They all turned to see the company John had been expecting. Nigel Walker, Nikola Tesla and Helen Magnus stood in the doorway watching the scene before them with interest.

"What on Earth is going on?" demanded Helen.

"This young lady was just leaving," said John angrily.

Ashley stared at the ground in dismay wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. Don't look at her, don't make eye contact, she thought furiously. God if she hadn't seen her already in the street she'd probably be having a complete freakout right about now.

"Wait," said Watson. "If she knows about the blood maybe we should hear her out."

Ashley's mind went into overdrive and she could only grasp two coherent thoughts. Time to leave, remember your manners.

"You're right I should go thanksforyourtimebye," and ran past her mother through the doorway and out of the building without looking up at anyone. They all stared after her in astonishment.

"What blood?" asked Nikola.

"The vampire blood."


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Reviews make me happy XD

* * *

Chapter 8

Finally back at the attic of the Magnus house, Ashley sat on a dusty old trunk and groaned, totally and utterly embarrassed. She felt awful.

"Oh my god. He must think I am a complete idiot."

She put her face in her hands, she could still feel the heat radiating off her cheeks from the spectacle she had just made of herself. A strange noise made her look up. Her parents were watching her, they had soon deduced where she had been headed earlier and were now desperately trying not to laugh out loud as she blathered away, still feeling slightly panicked.

"Laugh, I don't care. The only way it could have gone any worse was if I had been screaming as I ran out. In fact, I might have been and just didn't notice. I've completely humiliated myself in front of you and you think it's funny. Thanks for your support. If you had just helped me steal the blood that would be it. No running into people we shouldn't, no embarrassing myself, no changing things, just pinch a vial of blood."

Keen to cut off another tirade, Druitt intervened.

"If you had just done as you were told."

"Do as I'm told! You're so old fashioned," she hit back. "It doesn't work like that, it's the 21st ..." she looked around remembering where she was. The recent experience seemed to have shocked her into her senses. It was as though the old, romantic, sepia tinted view she had of this world and the Victorian times her parents had lived in before had washed away.

"Wait for it," said Magnus to Druitt. "Here it comes."

"Oh my god," said Ashley, horrified as the enormity of what she had done finally sunk in.

"What's happening?" asked Druitt, slightly confused.

"Ashley's brain has finally caught up with her actions," explained Magnus.

"What have I done? I might be stuck here. I can't believe you let me do this." Magnus raised both eyebrows at that comment. If Ashley had been paying attention she would have seen the warning sign that two eyebrows raised were worse than one. "What if we're stuck here with dresses and manners and having to obey your father and that sort of thing? No internet. No chocolate. No phones."

"Ashley, you know that thing you do when you talk and don't stop and just keep on talking?"

"Am I doing it now?"

"Yes, and there is chocolate here." Magnus interrupted Ashley's rambling realisation.

"There is?" She was slightly mollified.

"And phones."

"I don't have anyone to call," she wailed. "What about Henry? He might get stuck in the Highlands all on his own and you won't go and find him because you're here and he'll be on his own. We have to get back! We can get back, I can jump back," she said trying to convince herself, "I'll figure it out." She looked at Druitt and murmured unknowingly aloud, torn between her head and her heart. "A cure."

Magnus considered the choices before her, which were getting fewer and further between. For Druitt to attempt a teleport would undoubtedly detach him from his remaining senses. Teleporting also seemed to be having a worse and worse effect on Ashley.

"What about Henry? Can you jump to Henry?" Druitt asked.

"Eew, he's like, my brother."

"I don't mean like that. I know you're close like family, I just meant he was worried so much about the two of you."

Still upset she jabbered away.

"I love Henry to bits, but until he learns to share his precious special cereal and stops getting me to try out crappy prototype weapons that don't work, I think we can count that out. Big Guy and Will," she said thinking. "I do miss home but Will, he keeps trying to psychoanalyse me, you can see it in his eyes he thinks I'm messed up. Ha, he should try it on you, I'd love to see that."

"Ashley!" cut in Magnus. Honestly, the girl could talk for England unless she was stopped. "I need you to distract me."

"Huh?"

"I need to talk to my father but you have to get the other me out of the way."

"Oh, I had no clue what you were talking about then. This is going to get complicated isn't it?"

"This was your great plan, now face up to it," said Magnus, pushing her towards the skylight. Ashley looked horrified at the thought of facing her mother again.

"But, but, what do I say?"

"Knock on the front door and ask for me. Tell me, her, this is going to get very confusing. Tell her you've found some abnormal she really must go and see."

"You want me to deliberately talk to you? And lie!? Well of course, why not make it worse? What if she says no?"

"Ashley, get her out of the house. This is your damn mess now help clean it up."

Ashley remembered something she had already begun to try and blank out. The horrible experience she had just fled from. Saved.

"They're at a meeting! The Five are all at Da, Dru, Joh.... OK, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to call the other two you's, John and Helen. Which is weird, but not as bad as getting completely mixed up and brainfuddled. So, the Five are all at John's place probably having a very interesting discussion on the weirdo who just went running out on them. I was practically screaming the last time I saw you, her. She's going to think I am nuts."

"Well she's got to learn sometime or other," Magnus smirked.

"Why did you run out?" asked Druitt.

"It was all going fine, apart from the bit where you were just about to throw me out of the building, and then freakin' Mom came in and I... completely lost it." She shook her head in dismay at the memory. "So embarrassing," she muttered.

"I'll go and find my father," said Magnus, with a sympathetic smile for Ashley. "Don't worry, I'm sure they liked you just fine."

"Yeah, they'd like me locked up in the loony bin. Oh god, the rocky horror show. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?"

"Good luck with that," said Magnus to Druitt, leaving him to cope with Ashley. She opened the attic door and entered the main house.

Ashley watched Druitt who returned her stare unwavering. She felt awkward around her father after the spectacle she had made of herself. What if he could remember the incident from all those years back? Mind flip. Feeling uncomfortable, Ashley ventured.

"I'm going out for some air. It's a bit stuffy in this attic."

He said nothing but gave a slight nod perhaps understanding her need for some space to herself. She headed for the skylight.

Druitt looked about the attic for a distraction from his own thoughts, he could not shake his mind from the scene he had witnessed earlier that day. His younger self and Helen on the front doorstep. He could remember that moment like it had been him down there. Only it had been.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ashley walked along the street with no notion of where she was headed. She was devastated at what a fool she had made of herself and her fathers reaction to her, even if some of it were justified. She ignored the looks from passers by as she wandered aimlessly, eventually finding herself back on the street the Magnus' house sat. She looked around at the neighbourhood, she hadn't managed to take in her surroundings before now. It was quite a well off part of London, the houses were of the classic London town house variety, with white walls, steps leading up to the front door. I suppose doctors are rich even in these times, she thought. A carriage pulled up behind her but she didn't pay it any heed as she looked at the house she might well have grown up in, in another time.

"Ashley?"

She turned to find the occupier of the carriage standing before her.

"How do you know my name?"

"John told me what happened. Are you all right?"

"I think so." The walk had calmed her down and her nerves were her own again. What had he said about her?

"Are you angry?" asked Ashley.

"Not at all. You'll have to forgive John, he gets carried away sometimes. I'm Helen by the way, although I get the impression you may already know that."

They exchanged a frank look, each trying to get the measure of the other. Helen was in a beautiful Victorian dress covered with an intricately worked shawl, her golden curls spilling over her shoulders. Ashley felt even more of an idiot in her worn biker leathers with windswept hair and probably dried blood on her nose. It was odd how only now she thought of how grubby she more than likely was.

"What are you doing here?" Helen asked her, wondering how to find out more about this unusual girl.

"I'm meeting my mother," said Ashley, truthfully.

Helen had a mildly confused air about her as she looked at Ashley. Noticing the close scrutiny she was under, Ashley somehow managed to remain cool. This was very weird, how could she keep her nerve whilst talking to her mother but go to pieces when talking to her father?

"I'm sorry I was a bit... weird, earlier. I'm not, I mean..."

"Do you want to talk about what it was you wanted to discuss with John?"

She shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything about that damn blood. Now was not the time.

"I've not had a very good day, I'm not supposed to..." She started backing away, her self control was disintegrating rapidly. "Goodnight," and hurried off before further complications could ensue.

Helen watched after her as she fled, this was turning into a very interesting day.

* * *

Magnus returned to the attic after having found her father alone in his study. Druitt was practising with a fencing épée he had found in a dusty old box, inscribed with the initials G.M.

"How did it go?" he asked her.

"She's just come back, the other me I mean. I think I just scared 10 years off my father's life."

"He believed you?"

"That I did, John," said Gregory Magnus, entering the attic behind his daughter. Taking his appearance in his stride Druitt nodded to him.

"Dr. Magnus."

"John Druitt. I should have known you would be the cause of so much trouble. If only Helen had listened to me about you."

"Where's Ashley?" interrupted Magnus, keen to head off _that_ topic of conversation.

"She went out. For a walk." Druitt glowered at Ashley's grandfather at the insult dealt to him. Clearly the man had not yet met Jack the Ripper. Gregory was oblivious to any changes there had been from the John he knew and this future one and Magnus would prefer it stayed that way.

"Alone?" Gregory asked, worried and disappointed he hadn't got to see his granddaughter. "It's not safe. She shouldn't be out there without an escort."

"It's all right Father, she can take care of herself, I assure you," said Magnus.

"I'll bring some food up for you later. I would very much like to meet Ashley."

"You will, don't worry," Magnus smiled at him.

"Father?" a voice called from downstairs.

"I have to get back to my study," Gregory hurried away leaving the stowaways alone. He most certainly didn't want his daughter discovering the secret in the attic. Especially the part about John Druitt, he had always known that young man would be nothing but trouble.

"Did he have any ideas?" snarled Druitt, not happy at the reception he had received. Why was it acceptable that Gregory had a grand daughter but unacceptable that he was the father?

"I gave him the basic premise, he said he'd think on it and come and talk to us when the opportunity arises." She sighed at his black mood and tried to move him on to more settling train of thought.

"Did you get a chance to speak to Ashley about what happened when she went to see you?"

"No, why?"

"You upset her."

"I? What have I done?"

"The other you. They've argued and fallen out immediately upon meeting and all she wants is him to like her."

"How do you know that's what's bothering her?"

"John, when Ashley was born she didn't come with an instruction manual. I had to figure it all out myself and I still am. As do you."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Help her. Give her some advice on how to get in his good books."

"You know better than I do how to get into his good books. You just have to smile at him and he goes weak at the knees."

Magnus was thrown by the unexpected comment. There were worse things than being trapped in the past, witnessing her own heartbreaking romance. Being trapped in an attic, not with John Druitt or Jack the Ripper, but whatever this version of John was. Magnus took a deep breath and composed herself.

"You only need to reassure her that he doesn't hate her."

"Of course he doesn't hate her, that's ridiculous. It's not even a possibility."

"Tell _her _that. She just needs to know that this version of you likes her."

Moments later Ashley scrambled in through the skylight out of breath as though she had been in a hurry.

"What's the matter? I hope you didn't bump into anyone you know," said Magnus, intuitively. The look on Ashley's face indicated she had indeed met someone.

"I wish...," she screwed her eyes up in frustration. "What a mess! I need a shower. How am I supposed to go out in public with blood on my nose?"

"You shouldn't be out in public at all."

She picked up a fencing épée from the open box and waved it around agitatedly.

"Do people actually use these anymore?" It was so light, how could something so flimsy do any damage? Druitt was still holding the other one.

"These are for training purposes, practice for the light sword. Not many people fight with them anymore. It's more a gentlemen's sport now."

He flicked the sword around with flair. He pointed it at Ashley.

"En garde," and saluted her. She copied him.

"En garde."

"You score a hit with the point," explained Druitt. "Anywhere on the torso and with only the tip of the blade." He jabbed at Ashley and swished his blade away. "Use the rest of the blade to deflect and defend."

Ashley tried to jab at him but he easily parried her efforts. With a sudden movement he flicked his wrist and Ashley found the blade tip at her throat. She looked down the blade, she hadn't even had a chance to blink let alone move.

"That was fast."

He lowered the blade and stepped back.

"Don't let your guard down. That where the saying comes from."

She mirrored his stance, one leg forward one arm forward his other arm tucked back behind him out of the way.

"You're left handed," she noticed for the first time.

"As are you," he said as he stabbed the sword at her. She leaned out of the way and parried his attack. They circled each other waiting for an opening.

Magnus sat back and watched them, her mind on the conversation she had just had with her father. After the initial shock, he had to sit down and have a whisky to steady his heart rate, he had listened carefully to her predicament. He was in no doubt, this _was_ his daughter in front of him and as always he would do whatever he could to help her. After one more drink perhaps. Magnus was brought back to the present by the conversation of the swordfighters in front of her. Druitt was trying to take Magnus' earlier advice.

"Earlier, when you went to see me," he said to Ashley.

"Hmmm."

"I think you'll find honesty is the best policy."

"What are you talking about?"

"The other me. He'd appreciate it if you were honest."

"Would he?" She cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. A danger sign.

"Hi Dad, I'm from the future, and I'm here to tell you how messed up your life is going to get. You may want to start thinking up super villain names. Might I suggest, Jack the Ripper?"

Very subtle John, thought Magnus as the two glared at each other.

"Helen, perhaps you can show Ashley how it's done." He indicated she should take Ashley's blade, looking for an opponent who knew how to fence to take his irritation out on.

"Yeah, let's see what you've got Mom."

She threw the épée to Magnus who snatched it out of the air. She swished it from left to right and looked at Druitt. He raised an eyebrow with a smirk. Magnus's technique was, of course, faultless, but Druitt deflected her attacks with ease.

"Who taught you to fence?" asked Ashley, watching her mother's undoubted skill with the blade.

"He did," she replied, parrying an attack by her former fencing tutor.

Magnus was good but Druitt was better. He effortlessly deflected her attacks so she couldn't get any hits in. Ashley sat back on an old chest and watched as her parents found their form and focus and fenced in front of her. It did them all good. Magnus took out her frustration at Ashley in the duel and Druitt found his mind under his careful control as he focused on his actions, the fencing had a somewhat hypnotic effect on Ashley and she wound down gradually after the unrivalled, eventful day she'd had.

My life is so weird, thought Ashley as she watched them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Despite being practically ordered not to leave the attic or roof until plans could be made with Gregory, Ashley managed to 'accidentally' climb down the drainpipe and go for a walk. She couldn't sit still in that stuffy attic with those two sniping at each other, something about her grandfathers reaction to seeing John again. Although it was fun spending their time fencing, her father was a much fiercer combatant training partner than she was used to.

Ashley had found a green and wooded park seemingly hidden away from the busy streets of London and sat on the grass next to a lake. Who knew that London could be so pretty? She stared absentmindedly at the ducks splashing about in the sunshine. Old pictures and photos of Victorian London were always so grotty looking, even with inside information Ashley had never got the impression it was that nice a place.

Her mother had seen her enter the park earlier and followed her. She walked across the grass and sat down on a bench placed slightly behind Ashley, not wanting to disturb her. Ashley sensed her presence but didn't look up, she was going over and over the options before her. Disobey her mother or save her happiness, her life?

The girl looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"Ashley?"

"I don't know what to do," began Ashley without looking around. "They're so happy and young and carefree. How am I supposed to stop them? They won't listen to me. I have to stop them or they'll destroy their lives."

Helen didn't say anything but listened carefully as Ashley talked through her worries.

When there was no reply, no words of wisdom as usually offered, Ashley turned to look at her mother. Helen looked increasingly puzzled as Ashley continued to talk.

"You're blonde," noted Ashley in horror. "Why are you blonde?"

Helen was thoroughly confused now but it seemed Ashley was deeply troubled about something.

"For the same reason you are I suppose," she said.

Ashley let out a small laugh, quickly smothered. "You're telling me," she said quietly.

She stared at Helen. This was it, the golden opportunity to explain everything. She liked this version of her mother. She was kind, warm, friendly, relatively approachable, more... human? Was it disloyal to think that? Ashley loved her mother beyond belief, she was the most important person in the world to her and she herself knew how important she was to her mother. If she did manage to change everything would she still be as important to her mother? Would she love her as much? Or would she have to share her with her father, with brothers and sisters? Would they be as close?

Helen watched Ashley watching her. She had seen Ashley from the library window in the house, hurrying down the street. She must live nearby. She had to take the opportunity to talk to her and find out what she knew about the source blood. She couldn't allow anything to jeopardise their plans. This was one very strange girl but she couldn't help liking her. She was funny, friendly, warm and there was something about her, something fierce hidden just under the surface, a fierce loyalty, although she wasn't yet sure to whom.

"Ashley, what is it that is bothering you?"

"The question is; what isn't bothering me?" she sighed. She just had to do it.

"OK. Imagine there are two groups of people. One group are going to do something, quite innocently but stupidly, something which will curse and destroy the lives of the second group. I'm not in either group really or you could say I'm in both groups... No, I'm not in either groups but I know and care about group two and I want to prevent this disaster from happening."

Helen listened carefully as Ashley awkwardly tried to explain her dilemma without giving anything away. She must have forgotten for a moment she was talking to Helen Magnus until Helen asked her.

"Am I in group one?"

Bollocks, thought Ashley, she's smart now as well. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak for the moment, anxious about what else Helen had deduced.

"What would happen to group one if you prevented this occurrence?"

"Uh, nothing I think. They'd go on with their normal lives, get married, have kids, I mean children, be happy. Or they'll find another way to screw everything up."

The thought occurred to her for the first time. The Five were a pretty stubborn, ingenious, insistent lot. Surely they could find another way to mess up their lives, but, hopefully one which didn't involve teleporting, vampire blood, murder and madness.

"That sounds a reasonable outcome for both parties, don't you think?" said Helen. When Ashley didn't reply she asked. "Why wouldn't you try that?"

"I don't know what would happen to group two," admitted Ashley, touching on the subject she had tried so hard not to think about. "Anything could happen to them. I might lose them all, destroy everything."

"You say, anything could happen. Surely that means there's a chance they could have normal lives as well as group one?"

"I don't know," said Ashley, exasperated. "When I was seven or eight years old I was crossing the road and I got hit by a car. I mean a carriage. I hadn't been paying attention and neither had the driver. My Mom was nearby and saw everything. She went absolutely atomic."

"Atomic?" asked Helen, unfamiliar with the word.

"I mean she was very angry, she blew her stack, um, blew up like a volcano." Helen nodded in understanding.

"What is atomic? I've never heard the word before."

"It's... it doesn't matter, it hasn't been discovered yet."

"It hasn't?" This conversation was the strangest she had ever encountered.

"My point is Mom... my Mom." She tripped over her words. "I have never seen her lose her temper like that before, that poor driver even I felt sorry for him and I was the one he hit. She's always so cool and calm and collected. I'm worried that I may be pushing her towards that edge again. I couldn't bear it if she was that angry with me."

"This decision would go against your mother's wishes?"

"Yes. But it might, would, save my father."

"Save him?"

"From madness."

Curiouser and curiouser, thought Helen.

"Do you often disobey your mother?"

Ashley didn't answer for a while, pondering the question.

"I don't think so," she said eventually. "I'm sure she would say otherwise."

"You're very lucky, you know. I wish my mother were still alive."

"What was she like?" asked Ashley, curious to hear about her grandmother. Helen found herself effortlessly opening up to Ashley in a way she rarely did to anyone, except perhaps John.

"I am unsure if my memories of her are real or just dreams. I was very young when she died. I remember warmth and love and lots of laughter." Ashley smiled at the thoughts. "Then it was just my father and I. I often wonder how my life would have differed if my mother had lived."

Ashley's ears pricked up at this. If all went wrong, maybe she could go back further in time and try from a different angle.

"My father and I always seemed to get along at best through our work. Maybe that's why I work so hard, to spend time with him," pondered Helen. She looked up to see Ashley watching her. "What is your father like?" she asked the girl.

Ashley's eyes widened at the question. Oh boy, how to answer that one?

"Um..."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," said Helen, seeing Ashley struggle for an answer.

"No, it's all right, it's just a complicated answer, is all. He's a bit scary if you don't know him and well, a bit scary when you do."

"Scary?"

"You wouldn't like him when he's angry, let's put it like that."

"How does your mother put up with a temper like that?"

"They don't live together," she remembered that sort of thing wasn't done in Victorian times, "I mean he comes and goes."

Helen realised she was missing a part to this story that Ashley didn't want to disclose and the conversation came to a rest, albeit a comfortable rest.

They sat in companionable silence thinking over the snippets they had gleaned from their talk. Helen broke the silence catching Ashley thoroughly off guard.

"Ashley, who are you?" she asked her, looking straight into her familiar blue eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ashley looked back into Helen's blue eyes. She could just do it, tell her now, over and done with. Instead she said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, said Helen. "Although I suspect there will be a strong chance of my not understanding what you're talking about."

Ashley gave her a shy smile.

"Hypothetically."

Helen raised an eyebrow.

"What if, someone came back from the future and told you that something you were about to do was going to go horribly wrong and destroy people's lives and curse others?"

To say that Helen was more than a little stunned by the suggestion, would be an understatement.

"Someone from the future?" she repeated, as though not believing her ears. Ashley looked at her, deadly serious.

"For example, say... your daughter."

Helen looked as though she were teetering on the brink of walking away from being made a fool of, but the look in Ashley's eyes made her stay, even if it were only to humour her. She was looking at her so earnestly.

"My daughter from the future," she said, slowly digesting the information. This was like one of the bizarre discussions she sometimes found herself involved in with her friends, wild theories with only their imagination the limit.

Ashley nodded and clarified.

"Hypothetically, of course."

"Why would I believe anyone who made such an outrageous, outlandish claim?"

"Well, obviously she would know stuff about you only your daughter would know. Plus she'd look like you, a bit."

"And who would her father be?"

"John," said Ashley, immediately answering the question without thinking.

Uh, oh, she thought. Maybe they weren't even engaged yet, or what did they call it? Courting? Although they seemed pretty into each other the other night she'd seen them.

"At a guess," she tried to shrug it off.

Helen sat back and contemplated Ashley and all she was saying.

"So, if I did believe she was my daughter then she would have to explain exactly what she wanted me to do, or not to do," she frowned slightly, trying to work out if that sentence made sense.

"But if she told you, you might go and do it anyway because you're just as stubborn as I... she is."

"If you just explained and she believed you, why wouldn't she do as you ask?" asked Helen.

They both didn't realise they had mixed their hypothesis with reality and were referring to each other without noticing. Ashley was beginning to confuse herself now. This must be how her mother felt sometimes when she talked to her. Her mother!

"Oh no," Ashley jumped up suddenly. "I gotta go. My Mom will be wondering what I'm up to this time."

"Ashley, come to dinner tonight," asked Helen suddenly, not quite understanding what she was feeling but not wanting Ashley to go. "Eight 'o' clock. Some friends of mine are in town and we're meeting for dinner. You could ask them about your hypothetical situation. I'm sure they will come up with some interesting opinions on your unusual question."

Ashley looked unsure and mildly horrified by the invitation, shortly followed by an excited feeling in the pit of her stomach. A direct invitation to the heart of the matter, The Five. It would be downright rude to refuse, her mother would agree, she would have to agree.

"Also, you seem to have some prior knowledge of the topic of discussion for this evening all ready," Helen referred to the source blood.

Ashley smiled sheepishly and then shyly. She nodded.

"I'd like that."

Helen stood and brushed off her dress.

"In that case, I'll see you tonight," she smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you know the address all ready."

Ashley thought it best not mention she was currently staying in the attic of said address. They bid each other goodbye. Ashley watched her mother walk away with a stupid grin plastered over her face. The plan was back on.

* * *

Ashley strolled into the attic of the Magnus household after having scrambled up the wall. Magnus and Druitt observed her approach with interest, wondering what she had done now, the expression on her face declared unapologetic trouble.

"Well?" asked Magnus, waiting for the inevitable bad news, Ashley was clearly bursting to impart.

"I've been invited to dinner with the Five!"

"You've what!?" exclaimed Magnus. "Which idiot invited you to dinner with that lot of miscreants?"

"You did," Ashley gave her a radiant smile. "I think she likes me."

Druitt chuckled at the absurdity of the entire situation.

"Hoist by my own petard," said Magnus in disbelief.

"What am I going to wear?"

"You're not seriously thinking of going are you?"

"As you've often said Mom, I should mind my manners. It would be rude not to go."

"You're enjoying this far too much."

"I can't help it if I manage to find the fun in things and don't get my knickers in a twist. If you really don't want me to do this, you know what the alternative is."

"And how would we get back to the future?"

"I'll do it, I just have to concentrate. At least I think I can do it, but only if you accept my blood," she looked at Druitt. He returned the look, absolutely exasperated.

"It didn't work the last time, what makes you think it will work this time?"

"My blood is different. It's worth a try, unless you _want_ to be a homicidal maniac. Do you?" He glowered at her.

"I am going tonight to see you all normal and happy. That alone will be an experience. Then, if you agree, we can go home," she beamed. "See, life would be so much simpler if you just agreed with me more often."

This last statement hit a nerve deep within Magnus.

"I think you'll find life would be simpler if you agreed with me more often," retorted Magnus. She'd had about enough of Ashley's blasé approach to this situation and life in general.

"Why won't you even think it over? You're not even considering any of the possibilities."

"Because its so bloody stupid is why," argued Magnus.

"Clearly, I'm genetically predisposed to make stupid decisions."

"Enough." Druitt stepped in before the argument could escalate further.

They both turned and stared at him in surprise. No one had ever dared break up their arguments before. Henry would duck his head behind the computer, Bigfoot would leave them to it and the one time an alarmed Will had tried to intervene, Ashley had ripped into him as well. Druitt had no such worries.

"We are stuck here for now so just deal with it and stop fighting."

"There wouldn't be anything to fight about if Ashley would stop interfering with things she shouldn't."

"I wouldn't have to interfere if you hadn't been so bloody stupid to start with," Ashley roared at her mother.

"Well, if only I could have forseen the future," Magnus yelled back at Ashley. Druitt shook his head in disbelief as they stood almost nose to nose and argued.

"That's it," he bellowed, pulling them apart. "You're both as bad as each other."

He pushed Ashley in the direction of the skylight.

"You, go and find some clothes for dinner. Don't borrow them from Helen, she'll notice."

She looked at him still scowling, unused to being ordered about by him. Something in his eyes told her not to argue with him.

"And as for you," he turned to Magnus as she snatched her arm out of his grasp and glared at him.

"Tell me more about this blasted blood treatment."

Ashley smiled and Magnus looked taken aback.

"If that's what it takes to get us back then I'll try it," he explained.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Magnus stopped Ashley as she excitedly prepared to go out to meet Helen.

"Where did you get that dress?" She wondered, referring to the dress in Ashley's arms. Ashley planned to climb down the outside of the house and then get changed in the alley so as not to mess up her newly 'acquired' dress.

"The girl over the road, she looked about my size. I 'borrowed' something of hers."

"I don't want to know any more. Give me your phone and gun."

"Why? My phone doesn't work here."

"I know. You have a habit of losing yours. I don't want future technology lying around, especially with those five about. Be polite, mind your manners, no swearing and don't drink anything."

"Why? Are they going to poison me?" Ashley looked alarmed. "In that case I might need my gun."

"No drinking alcohol. Your mouth runs away with you more than usual when you've had a drink. You might say something you shouldn't."

"I need a name."

"Pardon me?"

"They keep asking my name, I can't exactly say Magnus, or Druitt."

Magnus was taken aback. Ashley had never referred to herself as a Druitt before.

"Ashley Doolally?" Druitt suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

"Ashley Madness?" offered Magnus.

There was a perceptible lightening of the atmosphere and general sense of relief now they were all agreed to returning back to the 21st century.

"No help as usual, I'll think of something."

Magnus grabbed her arm as she went to climb out of the skylight.

"She's not me. Don't expect her to be anything like me," she warned. Ashley was going to get a shock sooner or later from this Helen. "I'll be here when you get back."

"I'll behave, I promise," offered Ashley, feeling kind of strange running out on her parents, who she had dreamed about just being in the same room as each other, for... her parents.

"You're jealous," observed Druitt, after Ashley had left.

"What?"

"She's excited to be going to dinner with the other you, and you don't like it."

"Utter nonsense."

"Helen, you can't fool me. You should know that by now."

"They won't know who she is," said Magnus anxiously. "They won't... what if they upset her trying to find out what she knows about the blood?"

"She's a smart girl, she'll figure them out. If they upset her they'll have to deal with us."

"That's another thing to worry about. Where are you going?"

He was headed for the skylight window.

"I'm going to sneak down and watch them."

"What? You can't, what if they see you?"

"Remember that drainpipe which runs right past your bedroom window and down past the drawing room? The number of times your father almost caught me climbing it as he looked out of that window. We can watch from outside."

"Oh no."

"Don't you want to take a look at the old gang, back together again? Nigel, we haven't seen him in such a long time, and James. I admit I could go with out seeing the wannabe master of the universe."

"This is such a bad idea."

"I never had you down as chicken, Helen."

She glared at him.

"So you're coming then?" he gave her a wicked grin. She teetered on the brink of accepting. One more push.

"You'll be able to keep an eye on Ashley," he coaxed her, knowing exactly which buttons to press.

* * *

Magnus and Druitt sat hidden away in the shrubbery outside the drawing room windows where the party inside were having a drink before dinner. They were trying to see and hear the goings on in the room without being seen themselves.

"What has she done to her dress?" she moaned.

Ashley had on her 'borrowed' Victorian dress which was of the very latest in London style. The young lady owner of the garment was very proud of her appearance and owned only the very latest fashions. Ashley however, was ahead of these times. It would have looked stunning on her, had she not modified it to reflect a more 21st century style. No corset, no puffy sleeves, no frilled collar, stripped down to the bare essentials. It wouldn't have looked too odd in the 21st century, if perhaps a little eccentric, and even had a credible impact in the 1880's, Helen admired it and the gentlemen appreciated it.

"What are they giving her? What is she drinking?" Magnus' usual calm and serene nature was severely ruffled by just the thought of the conversation in that room. Druitt shushed her, himself trying to listen in. "Is that absinthe!?"

"Helen, be quiet or they'll hear you."

"They are deliberately getting her drunk!"

"Of course they are. They want to know what she knows about the blood. You'd have done it too. You were a lot more ruthless back then."

"What? I am not ruthless."

"It's only different now because Ashley is in there."

"Absolute rot."

He chuckled at her indignation, then frowned.

"Dear lord, what an idiot."

"Who?"

"Me. What am I wearing?"

Magnus snickered, stopping suddenly when she caught sight of herself.

"Oh no. This is too weird."

They stared in absolute fascination as Ashley stood with her unsuspecting parents and the rest of the Five. It looked like a happy gathering in there, they were all laughing at something Ashley said and she looked over the moon to be there.

"Maybe we can go soon," said Magnus quietly. "Ashley got her wish. To see us together and happy."

Druitt turned from the scene in the room before him and found Magnus' eyes fixed on him from the shadows.

"How did we get from being in there, happy, carefree and in the warm, to sitting in a shrub in the dark and cold?"

A tap at the window made them jump and fall back into the bushes. Ashley stood at the window glaring at them.

"Go away," she mouthed to the spies. She turned as someone inside called her name, the others were all going in to dinner.

"Now," she emphasised with a hand signal and turned and left them.

"That's us told," said Magnus.

"I say we march right in there and join them. Knock a few heads together, give them a proper scare," proposed Druitt, with a smirk.

"Let's leave Ashley to have her moment," said Magnus, resignedly. They wouldn't know any more until Ashley reported back.

"I believe it was 3-2 in the fencing. First one to 5 wins?"


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Fingers crossed, I can think up an ending and dont leave you lovely readers all hanging XD __(I wouldnt do that really ;) - DZR_

* * *

Chapter 13

Thoroughly distracted, Magnus lost every fencing match and spent most of the evening pacing around the attic her mind downstairs with her daughter, imagining all the ways the night could go horribly wrong. Druitt didn't let it bother him and lounged in a dusty old rowing boat, reading a brick of a novel he had found when rooting through the discarded treasures in the Magnus attic.

In the early hours of the morning the door to the attic from the house flew open with a loud thud and Ashley stumbled up the few steps to the main storage space. Magnus stared at her in horror and Druitt with interest. She was clearly, very drunk. There was green paint down the front of her 'borrowed' dress, which otherwise she would have looked stunning in, and she had mustard on her forehead.

"Look at the state of you! What have you been drinking? How have you got mustard on your head?"

"It was green," she giggled, referring to, no one knew what, tripped over the edge of the rowing boat her father was sitting in and threw herself down next to him.

"Why did you come in that way? What if someone saw you? Did someone see you?"

Ashley giggled at some unknown joke without giving an answer. Half full of anxiety at what might have been said at the dinner and half amused at the sight the two of them made in front of her, Magnus watched as Ashley's head sank slowly down to rest on Druitt's shoulder. Within seconds she was fast asleep, gently snoring on her father's shoulder, her arms wrapped around his arm, hugging it.

"I think she likes you," said Magnus, unable to contain a smile.

"I think it's mutual," he replied, as he watched her sleep on his shoulder, a look of amazement on his face. It had been a long time since anyone had been willing to let themselves be so close to him, to trust him. He missed it. Company, friends, family... Helen.

"I know it's not my place to say this, but I'm truly glad you chose to have her."

In her sleep Ashley could hear the low steady rumble of her father's voice, she felt safe with him, like she didn't have to fight all the time. She tightened her grip on his arm so she couldn't lose him.

"It is your place, John," Magnus said softly.

His heart skipped a beat. She could have married, she'd had enough offers, she could have had a child with any man she chose. She had chosen him, after everything, she still chose him. For a second he looked as though he was searching for the courage to say something else, but he didn't say anything, not wanting to risk losing the perfect moment he found himself in. He had to get out of this time and place, it was doing nothing but dredge up memories which could never return.

* * *

Ashley awoke as a sunbeam rudely poked her in the eye, shining down through the skylight onto where she lay in the bottom of a rowing boat. She was covered with a blanket and lying on a pile of old coats. She struggled to sit upright and looked about the attic blinking trying to see through the strange haze which filled her vision.

"Good morning," a voice seemed to rumble around the attic piercing every brain cell paralysed with alcohol poisoning.

"I'm in a boat. Why am I in a boat?"

"What happened last night?"

She looked over at her mother who stood at the entrance to the attic with her grandfather, trying not to look amused.

"Hello Ashley," Gregory smiled at her. "Did you enjoy last night?"

"Hey Gramps," she smiled back, recognising him instantly. "I can't even remember last night but I'm in a boat and," she squinted, "everything's fuzzy. What happened?"

"You had quite a night of it I see by the state of the drawing room," said Gregory.

"What's wrong with the drawing room?" asked Magnus.

"There are equations and odd diagrams scribbled all over the four walls. Apparently, there was quite a discussion."

"There was? About what?" asked Ashley, slightly worried.

"You tell me."

She looked at them with a blank expression on her face.

"You can't remember _anything_?" said Magnus, sounding exasperated.

"I remember everything went green. And it was very, very funny."

"What was?"

"Whatever it was that was funny."

"Ashley, did you mention or allude to any teleporting, time travel, vampires?" asked her mother.

"Probably not."

They exchanged a look. She didn't know what she'd said or done.

"What do you do Ashley? Are you in college?" Gregory asked curiously.

"Not exactly, no."

"I ask because, those equations, I've not seen anything like them before."

"What do they say?"

"One was beautiful in it's simplicity, E=MC2."

Magnus glared at Ashley.

"Ah, that might have been one of mine," she admitted. It was the only equation she knew. "I bet it impressed them though." The smile was wiped from her face as she caught the look her mother was giving her.

"Helen asked me to give you a message," said Gregory. "She said, if I happened to see you, I should let you know that she is going to be out of town for the rest of the week. She has an important meeting to attend, although she hopes you can meet up when she returns."

Magnus made a funny noise, a cross between a sigh, a snort and a tut.

"With Helen away, you can have the run of the house for the week. I've sent the staff away on leave, I told them I have an important experiment to conduct and want peace and quiet and no interruptions while I work."

"Thank god, I'm going to get washed and you had better get those equations off the walls," said Magnus to Ashley.

"Make sure there's nothing there that shouldn't be, and would you go and get John? He's on the roof. We'll all meet in the library in an hour to tell you the plan of action we've been discussing." Magnus left them in the attic, desperate to get cleaned up and a change of clothes if possible.

"What happened to your dress?" Gregory exclaimed, as he helped Ashley out of the rowing boat.

"I had to tweak it a bit. I don't know how Mom moves in these things, I mean, how are you supposed to do a fly kick in a corset?"

"Why would you need to kick someone?"

"You never know. Or punch, or strangle."

"Who would you want to strangle?" he asked, baffled by his unexpected grand daughter.

"You know, like abnormals, dangerous ones."

"What did you mean by, you're 'not exactly' in college?" he asked, trying to move onto a less bewildering topic.

"I was for a bit, but it wasn't my kind of thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not really compatible with organised learning."

He looked even more confused and wondered if he shouldn't have asked at all.

"I got kicked out, but I was provoked. Apparently argumentative tendencies and over enthusiastic discussion is not permitted in the progressive learning environment." She sighed. "What I'm saying is, I'm not going to be a doctor like you and Mom. You could say I take after my dad I guess. Although not the crazy part."

She realised what she had just said.

"Not that he's crazy. He's not." She tried to find something to say that he would appreciate. "I work at the Sanctuary."

"You mean the Sanctuary is still running in the 21st century?" He looked happy at that bit of news.

"Running? Of course it is, it's the family business! There are ten Sanctuary's all over the world, we've got a whole network of them."

They got into a comfortable topic of conversation, talking about something they both loved, the Sanctuary.


	14. Chapter 14

_Plot nubbins sprinkled throughout. Shout out to Chocolate and drama for making them into the fics thay needed to be =D_

* * *

Chapter 14

Druitt hovered near the skylight, listening to their conversation, moving quickly away when he heard Ashley climbing up. He was loathe to leave Ashley alone with her grandfather. They couldn't trust him, he didn't trust him and didn't trust himself to spend much time in Gregory's vicinity. Ashley found her father on the edge of the roof staring over the city, or rather, glaring over the city.

"Hi."

"Good morning," he turned, and ran an appraising eye over the state of her after the night before. She looked a little the worse for wear and said nothing more, breathing the morning air in deeply, trying to clear her head and overcome the enveloping, nauseous feeling.

"Is my tongue furry?" she asked sticking it out for him to see.

"No," he looked amused. "Why did you get thrown out of college?" Druitt enquired, curious.

"Non cooperation, and maybe some violence. It was never gonna happen really. I knew it, Mom knew it." She gave him a sheepish smile. "If I could have chosen, my major would be in abnormals. Turns out, I got the best teacher there is. There's nothing college tutors know that Mom can't teach me. Plus, it helps that she's the only person who can make me sit down, shut up and listen. Sometimes."

"I got kicked out of the Freemasons," he offered in sympathy.

"Freemasons, what's that, like the funny handshake thing?"

"There's a bit more to it than that."

"What did you get kicked out for?"

"Murder."

"Oh, charming. I got thrown out of girl scouts once."

He gave her a look.

"That was a joke. Jeez, I know it's not the same thing." She wisely decided to change the subject. "Mom wants us to meet in the library in an hour. They've come up with a plan or something, I didn't like to tell her I've already got a plan thanks. In the meantime, I'm gonna get changed and take this dress back."

They both looked at the offending item, it was covered in paint and had bits missing where it had been artfully modified.

"She would thank me if she could, once she realises how cool I've made it."

"I'm sure. Don't forget to wash the mustard off your head before you go out," he mentioned, as she rubbed at her forehead, puzzled as to how it had got there.

* * *

Ashley hurried down the street back in her comfortable leathers, with the poor dress in her arms. She had less than an hour to return it and then scrub the walls of the drawing room before meeting her mother. A shout from the other side of the street made her look up.

"Ashley!" John Druitt, of the non serial killer variety, called and waved. He smiled as he crossed the road to talk to her, amused to see her back in the familiar biker leathers.

"How are you? Recovered from last night?"

What had she done last night? Obviously he was in a good mood with her, seemed happy to talk to her, things were better between them now. If only she could remember that evening.

"Uh, I think I've got a bit of a cold," she said, code for hangover.

"Oh, like that? Me too," he grinned at her. She couldn't help but return it.

"I've just taken Helen to the station. She's gone to Dover to see someone. What are your plans today? James, Nigel and I are off to Lords if you'd care to join us?"

"Lords?"

"The cricket ground, it's the fourth test against Australia."

What the hell had happened last night that her father had forgiven her and was happily inviting her to his favourite pastime, cricket? Her heart thudded loudly in her chest but there was an accompanying knot in her stomach. Her mind turned to another, grumpier John she liked to spend time with too. She couldn't help but wonder about all the time he had spent on his own, she didn't want him to feel like he had to be alone ever again. But this John wanted to spend time with her. She might not get the chance again.

"Um, when is it? I've got some things to do today."

"First over is after tea at 1pm. Nigel may be late, he's having trouble getting the paint off."

She didn't know 'First over' meant but knew a man who did, and she was beginning to worry about the paint issue.

"I'll, uh, I'll see."

"Well, we'll be there if you decide to come. It promises to be an exciting match, the entire Test depends upon it."

Cricket, exciting? Really? She thought to herself.

He smiled and bowed in that way the men in Victorian London seemed to do in greeting or goodbyes.

"I hope we see you there," he said, and went on his way.

She watched him leave, her chance of asking what had happened last night walking away with him. This was getting difficult.

* * *

Ashley walked into the library, finding Magnus surrounded by papers and books, scribbling away. She flopped down in a chair next to her mother, unsure as to whether or not to tell her what had happened in the past hour, running into John and... the incident afterwards. Probably best she didn't know about that.

"And how was your morning?" asked her mother.

"You'd rather not know," replied Ashley.

"Hmmm, I expect that's true. What happened?"

"Nothing, I haven't had time to clean the drawing room yet." She didn't want to discuss the ever spiralling mess she found herself in. Magnus changed the subject for her.

"I've been discussing the situation with my father and have come up with one possibility, so far."

"What's that?" asked Ashley, unenthusiastically.

"You are going to teleporting school."

"What?"

"Ashley, you could at least pretend I taught you some manners."

"Huh? What? I mean pardon. Did you say teleporting school? I guess London is a lot more progressive than I thought."

"You've absolutely no control over your ability. You must be trained. Maybe then you can get us home."

"Do I need to ask by who?"

"Whom," corrected Magnus.

Ashley glared at her. Her mother had become a stickler for manners and grammar and all that rubbish since landing here. Another downside to this London.

"He can't even teleport himself without going loco. Is this theoretical porting? Where is he anyway?"

On cue Druitt strolled into the room and sat down next to Ashley. He had already heard the plan from Magnus and Gregory, though mostly from Magnus. Magnus noticed instantly that Druitt and Ashley were trying not to look at each other, they both had a strange expression on their faces. Something had happened that morning when Ashley had gone to return the dress and they weren't sure Magnus would appreciate the story. She looked from one to the other, she was convinced Ashley was trying to suppress a laugh.

"OK, what happened?"

There was an uneasy silence.

"Nothing," said Ashley, eventually, unconvincingly. Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"It was no biggie, nothing happened, there's nothing to worry about," she said, making it worse.

Ashley found herself fidgeting uncomfortably as she tried not to break under her mothers piercing gaze. Magnus rested her chin on her hand and waited.

"All right, I got mugged!" Ashley burst out, unable to hide a grin.

"What!?"

"It was awesome. I have never seen anything so funny in my entire life. It even beats the time when Henry tasered himself three times in a row."

"Funny? What's funny about getting mugged?"

"I was taking a shortcut from having taken that dress back, in the alley behind the houses and some guy jumped out in front of me. I was like, 'Whoa dude, what the hell?' And he was like, 'Give me your jewellery love and no one gets 'urt.' And I just looked at him, his teeth were gross, like the ones he had were black, and then he pulled out this knife. And... and.." she collapsed into laughter.

Magnus looked to Druitt to continue the story, he obviously knew something about this. He frowned.

"I simply tapped him on the shoulder and sent him on his way."

"Oh, I'm sure you did."

Gasping for breath, Ashley managed to find the ability to speak again.

"The look on his face!"

"Let's just say, you shouldn't hang around dark alleys, you never know who you might bump into," said Druitt with a dark gleam in his eye.

The mugger in question had decided to retire with immediate effect from his profession. The fright from having a blade jabbed between his ribs from a man who hadn't even been there a moment before, had caused him to reconsider the path his life was taking.

Magnus was not amused and guessed that Druitt may have viewed the event in a different light to Ashley. She was right. Ashley may have found it amusing but Druitt had felt the darkness rising within him as someone had threatened his daughter. If the man hadn't run away as quickly as he had, he'd more than likely be very dead by now. In fact, he might go back and look for him later, just to make sure he didn't do it again.

"I'll, uh, I'll go and get a drink," said Ashley, noticing the atmosphere get decidedly chilly.

"One more and I'm gone," Druitt whispered, after she had left.

"What about Ashley, I thought she helps?"

"She does, she calms me somehow, helps me focus, anchors me. I don't know how long I can do this."

They sat there with an air of gloom settling over them. The inevitable was edging ever closer. Druitt's last remaining hold on the sanity granted to him by Tesla's electric shock therapy was fading.

"We have to get back."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Magnus climbed out onto the rooftop searching for Ashley and Druitt who had long since escaped the library. Despite the freedom of the house they preferred to spend their time on the roof, talking over their theories on teleporting and control, and generally enjoying each others company. Magnus found them to be equally, easily distracted and discovered them leaning over the roof edge looking down at the street below, laughing at something.

"What are you two doing?"

"It's Nikola."

She peered down to see what they were laughing at. Nikola Tesla was running back and fore across the street with an armful of scrunched up papers. He was frantically trying to catch the sheets of paper which were being blown around erratically by the wind.

"We should be videoing this," said Ashley. "He'd be so annoyed if we showed him this. Where's my camera phone?"

"What's he doing here?" Magnus ignored her request.

"I may have told him I was staying here for a while."

"Get rid of him, you're supposed to be training."

"How am I supposed to do that if I'm talking to him? He doesn't shut up once he starts yammering on."

"Oh, never mind. I'll get rid of him."

They looked at her.

"Interfere with your counterparts? Tut, tut," said Ashley, with a smirk.

"Get practicing," ordered Magnus, and went to get rid of Nikola, somehow.

"All right," Druitt pointed to Tower Bridge in the distance. "Focus on one of the towers. Imagine yourself standing on the top of it."

Ashley stared at it, hoping for inspiration and then looked around.

"Nothing's happening."

"You have to do this without being under pressure. Each time you've done it before has been under heightened emotion. _You_ are in control of it. Not the other way around."

She concentrated on the top of the tower, wrinkling her nose up in concentration. Stupid training, she wouldn't have this problem if she were at home. Predictably, nothing happened.

"Teleport!" Druitt shouted in her ear.

She jumped in shock and teleported, disintegrating into a billion particles and reassembling in an instant, to find herself in the main lab of the Sanctuary.

Henry was sitting at his computer station, tilting his chair on two legs, when she appeared without warning in front of him. His face was a picture of astonishment as he toppled backwards onto the floor.

"Ash!" he squeaked, in shock.

Henry scrambled up and ran over, grabbing her in a hug, delighted to see her.

"Henry," she looked around with a dazed expression. "What happened?"

"You're back," he grinned. "I knew it. I knew that you were OK all along. Where are the others?"

He looked around as though expecting Magnus and Druitt to appear out of thin air any second.

"I'm back." It sank in. "Oh crap."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's great to see you Henry," she grinned at him. "Everything OK?"

"Uh, yeah, apart from you lot missing."

"Cool. Gotta get back. Don't tell anyone you saw me. 'K?"

She teleported back again.

"What? Why not?" Henry asked the thin air.

Ashley reappeared back on the roof next to her father.

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere. Lets try again, but don't shout in my ear this time."

He had his hand on her shoulder this time, ready to be teleported along with her.

"Focus on the tower."

She narrowed her eyes and scowled at the offending tower. She managed to teleport this time, but the billion pieces of dust didn't go the way she was trying to focus on and she popped back into existence in the middle of a park, with Druitt beside her.

"You missed," Druitt frowned. "You weren't focusing on the tower. Why are we in the park?"

"I don't know," said Ashley, getting annoyed with this stupid training.

"You must know, you were thinking of it or we wouldn't have ended up here."

Ashley stared around the park her gaze resting on the bench in front of her and the pond nearby, this was the same place she had met and talked to Helen. Why had she come back here?

"Oh, crap."

Something had just become crystal clear. A memory returned from the night before. Druitt wondered what she was talking about now, clearly her mind wasn't focused on teleporting.

"I know where she's gone," she said quietly, as it sank in.

"Who?"

"Mom, she lied to me. She's gone to get the source blood before it's delivered to London."

"A pre-emptive strike," Druitt mused, he should have expected Helen to be steadily figuring out what was going on, the more time she spent with Ashley. He wondered exactly who she thought Ashley was.

"She's on to me," Ashley said, indignantly. She was annoyed to find herself hurt and upset by the realisation. She stormed off back to the house, Druitt following at a more sedate pace.

They were nearing the crunch time.

* * *

Magnus opened the front door to Nikola who was red in the face, out of breath and desperately holding on to a pile of scrunched up papers.

"Helen! You're still here, I thought you..." he noticed her hair colour and clothes and stopped talking.

"Come in, Nikola," she said with a smile. He followed her into the drawing room with a thoroughly confused expression on his face.

"What is...?"

"I'll explain in a moment," she said. "What are you doing here, Nikola?"

"I, you, Ashley, said she'd explain some more about the equations from last night."

"Did she now?"

"Why are you dressed so... oddly? I thought you were going to get the," he looked around the room for listening ears and whispered, "source blood."

"I am?"

The events from the night before clicked into place. 1880's Helen knew what Ashley was up to. Ashley didn't.

"Oh yes, well of course I am. You see, I'm just about to leave, I'm taking no chances and am going in disguise."

"Ahhh! Of course, it makes perfect sense," he said, beaming at her.

She couldn't help but return his smile. He was so much sweeter now and less smarmy, much more earnest than he was in the future. Maybe it was because he was still human.

"It suits you actually," he complimented unknowingly. "The dark hair, very nice."

"Thank you, Nikola. I'm afraid Ashley's not here at the moment," she said cautiously, not knowing exactly what Ashley had divulged to any of the Five.

"She is staying here with you though?"

"Yes, she is."

"Good, I'm glad you convinced her to stay. We need to keep an eye on her. The things she knows are inexplicable. She could ruin everything if she chose."

"Yes, well. Not to worry, I'll be keeping a very close eye on Miss Ashley, I can assure you."

"I'll not keep you." He jumped up from the chair. "You will no doubt want to be on your way. Would you mind if I copy down these diagrams? Some of them are rather exciting. I wish Ashley had a chance to explain them to me, but she stopped making much sense when she and Nigel started singing sea shanties."

"That's not when she stopped making sense," Magnus muttered under her breath. "It will have to be some other time I'm afraid, Nikola. It's been lovely to see you again."

He looked puzzled, "But you saw me last night."

"Yes, I did. Of course I did. Must dash. Things to do."


	16. Chapter 16

_Dedicated to Serenity's Pain for sticking with this fic despite a kick in the teeth._

* * *

Chapter 16

Ashley stormed into the library where her mother had been sitting, quietly contemplating the new turn of events.

"She lied to me! I bet she sent Nikola to spy on me, to keep me here." She was absolutely fuming now and indignant that her mother would deceive her. "What a sneaky cow."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Sorry, but this is turning into a complete nightmare. This version of you is… different."

"I told you not to expect her to be like me."

"First John and then Nikola, you're like the queen of the mad scientists and they all bow down and do your bidding. Well, he can shove his bloody cricket."

The realisation that her father had only asked her to the cricket to distract her and keep an eye on her, hurt a lot more than her mother lying, for some reason. Magnus shook her head, she didn't know what Ashley was talking about half the time. Cricket?

"I'm not gonna put up with this, I mean, I can't lose can I? I can know everything about her, each movement she's going to make, every thought. She thinks she's so smart. Huh, she won't beat me, not with you on my side. This is war."

"Ashley."

"Yes?"

"You're doing that talking thing again."

"As for that Nikola, wait until I get hold of him, the scrawny, bloodsucking wannabe. He thinks he's so clever, the nosy..."

Druitt leaned on the doorframe, watching her rant away, expressing her outrage and indignation that her supposedly unsuspecting mother had outwitted her. Magnus, well used to Ashley's colourful expressions, left her to it and watched Druitt's reactions, amused. She would bet he hadn't had many dealings with anyone like Ashley before. She leaned over.

"You just have to cut in or she'll go on forever."

The truth was, he could happily just stand there and listen to her chatter away. Just to be in the presence of this fascinating, alien, daughter was enough for him. Magnus watched him, trying to guess at his thoughts. A frown crossed his face as he thought of all he could still lose. With one more teleport, he could lose this tenuous grip he had on the murderous rage. Ashley noticed his frown too and stopped talking.

"What's wrong?"

They both looked at him expectantly.

"Do you still want to destroy the source blood?"

Ashley's face lit up. Had she found her partner in crime? Druitt turned to Magnus, the only one of them that still needed convincing.

"I want it all. I want my daughter back, I want my wife back, I want my life back, I want control of my own mind. We can save those women, everyone I ever hurt."

Stunned into silence, possibly for the first time in her life, Ashley looked open-mouthed from her father to her mother. Out of nowhere, hope had reignited his heart, a flicker of the old John shone through his eyes. Magnus looked from one to the other, torn. Here were her family, begging her for a second chance. She considered slowly.

"I'm not saying I don't want to help you, to help all of us. I'm saying there's a reason people don't mess with time travel."

"Maybe they do and you just don't notice it," jumped in Ashley.

Magnus continued to voice her thoughts and worries out loud.

"What if it all goes wrong and we... break the universe?"

"_Then_ you can shout at me," offered Ashley.

Magnus looked from Druitt to Ashley, teetering on the edge of the decision. Who was she to deny them a chance at normality? Who was she but the perpetrator of their madness.

"That does in no way mean the plan would work. Maybe our lives worked out as they are now because we did this and came here."

"There's only one way to find out."

"One try. If it doesn't work we're going home and that will..." she was smothered into silence by Ashley grabbing her and Druitt in a joint bear hug.

"This is going to be EPIC!"

"... be the end of it," she finished, getting her breath back from the hug.

Ashley noticed Magnus unable to keep her eyes off Druitt. Something about him had made her change her mind. So that's how to persuade her, get him to do it. She made a mental note.

"If this works," Magnus said to Druitt. "I hope you get to experience how much of a nightmare she was between four and seven years old."

"As do I," said Druitt sincerely.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The war council sat around the library table discussing their strategy, otherwise known as: Ashley's plan. She was overjoyed they were taking her seriously although she had a nagging feeling that if they agreed with her then something couldn't be quite right. The plan inevitably degenerated from discussion to arguing.

"Originally, I had a courier deliver the package to the house on the fifteenth of this month. That's two days from now."

"But Helen's gone to Dover to intercept the package."

"How long does it take to get to Dover?" asked Ashley.

"A day by horse, or half a day by train."

"That's OK. I can teleport there," she offered.

"You will most certainly not be teleporting. You don't know where Dover is, have no idea what it looks like and your teleporting is not exactly reliable. We could end up in Jurassic era England," said Magnus.

"Where is your father?" Druitt asked her. "I haven't seen him all day. I thought he was working with you."

"He was, he had to go to the Sanctuary. They had a breakout of some kind, an abnormal escaped from its quarantine containment unit, through a locked door."

"What exactly have you told him about us?" Druitt frowned. He had trouble trusting anyone, let alone someone who had never liked him in the first place.

"That we are from the future and are... experiencing difficulties getting back."

"Our reason for being here, did you tell him about the source blood?"

"Yes, of course I did. Why?"

Ashley head slowly dropped down and rested on her arms folded on the table in front of her, as they bickered on. It had been a stressful day preceded by the big night before and she was pretty tired. Her eyes slowly closed as her father talked.

"Don't you think that may have been slightly erroneous? If I remember correctly, he wasn't too happy about it first time around. He hid the blood in a forgotten underground city and then made sure we couldn't get to it again unless the Five were assembled a hundred years after he hid it. Didn't that give you a hint? You only told him after we had taken it, this time he has sufficient warning. It wouldn't surprise me if he interferes now he has the opportunity."

Magnus glared at him for pointing out a truth she didn't like to dwell on. Her father had not been in the slightest bit impressed by her foray into experimenting with the unknown. Druitt seemed to be able to effortlessly rile her in a way no one had achieved in over a century.

"I trust my own father, John. You're just angry I asked him to help us because he still doesn't like you. He didn't before and he doesn't now."

"Oh, I think I can get by without your fathers approval."

"How did you two get along long enough to have a kid?" murmured Ashley from the tabletop, her eyes had closed as they argued. She woke up suddenly, remembering she was supposed to be awake.

"I was just resting my eyes," she said, sitting up somewhat sleepily. "I'm awake," she muttered. "Bloody Magnus's. We've got to get out of here, I'm even beginning to talk like you."

"A few 'bloodys', does not the Queens English, make," Druitt assured her as Magnus seethed silently, trying to retain her composure.

"I don't think he's going to be as cooperative as you may wish to think," he referred to her father again.

Ashley picked at the green paint she hadn't been able to wash off her hands.

"Green paint," she said to herself. She looked up and through the doorway to the drawing room beyond.

"Uh oh."

"What is it?" asked Magnus, glad of the distraction.

"Sea shantys," she said, inexplicably. Ashley looked horrified as the memory of last night came flooding back to her, she was even more horrified by the thought of telling her mother what she had done.

"She hasn't gone to Dover," she realised. "It's all a lie. She's trying to throw us, me, off the scent. I think, I, she, maybe..."

"Ashley?"

"She knows I can teleport."

Magnus' teeth were almost gritted as she asked, "Since when?"

Ashley held up her hands so they could see the green paint.

"I remember what happened last night."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"I know where the escaped abnormal is," she said, trying not to look guiltily at her mother, "and how it got out of its containment area," she confessed.

"I don't think I want to know this," said Magnus.

"I do," said Druitt, with a grin. Knowing Ashley for the short time he had, this was going to be good.

"It's on the top of Nelsons Column and it's painted green. It's because of the sea shanty's," she said, as though that explained everything. "I think Nigel was a fan."

Druitt and Magnus exchanged a glance. What had she done to Nigel? The Nigel they had known had been very quiet and studious, shy even. That is, until you got to know him and he, you. Then he showed his true colours, a quick wit and a lively soul, daring and bold. He had a fascination with the sea and often threatened his friends with running away to the high seas for adventure. His experimentation with invisibility had put paid to that dream. Nigel and Nelson sounded about right, Nelson being his great, sea faring hero.

"That poor creature, why paint it green?"

"So it would be camouflaged," explained Ashley.

"Nelson's statue is made of grey sandstone," Druitt pointed out the flawed logic in her reasoning.

"He's been painted too."

Magnus closed her eyes with a pained expression on her face as Ashley explained.

* * *

The crowd bustled through Trafalgar Square on their way about their daily business. Gregory Magnus stood in the middle of the square, his hands on his hips, looking up the 151ft to the top of Nelson's Column. On Nelsons hat, curled up and fast asleep, oblivious to the perilous height it was perched at, was a sloth like abnormal generously coated in bright green paint. Nelson himself was also sporting the same shade. Gregory was having a very strange week.

* * *

Helen's plan to get Ashley drunk and extract as much information from her as possible had worked after a fashion, worked too well in fact. She needn't have bothered; Ashley had been determined to impress the Five in any way possible which, under the influence of alcohol, involved telling them anything they wanted to know. This had begun with her hazy knowledge of theoretical physics and ended the night with a demonstration of the impossible.

What surprised the scientists was, although her stories of time travel, teleportation and invisibility were obviously flights of fancy, she did manage to touch on some ideas and theories which actually made sense. The one idea they could not believe there was any credibility to was, the one about men landing on the moon. By the time they realised she actually knew some pretty serious stuff about areas they had great interest in, it was too late. Plied with absinthe, which was eventually to be banned in the early 20th century for the dangerous effects it had on the consumer, Ashley, followed not far behind by Nigel, had been the drunkest of the six gathered at Helen's that night.

Ashley was persuasive, charming and amusing and all the Five eventually succumbed to the drink. Nikola, as usual, needed no encouragement to drink too much wine, Helen became more than tipsy and John's roars of laughter could be heard throughout the house. James held out until the last but got so frustrated trying to work out exactly who Ashley was, he could come up with no rational explanation for how she knew so much, he ended up joining his friends in the merriment. Nigel needed no persuasion.

Nikola desperately tried to get her to explain further about the fascinating equation she had come up with, E=MC2, but she and Nigel were busily engaged in singing the rudest sea shanty they could come up with. She patted him on the head as he tried to interrupt the singing and told him.

"Awww, don't worry Nikola, you're pretty smart too, sometimes."

Helen left it too late to ask her what she knew about the vampire blood. Ashley had stopped making sense a while back and her answers were open to interpretation.

"Nothing!" She protested innocently, too innocently, then giggled. "It depends on who you are," she explained. "It makes you more like than what you are. Nigel's shy, but not now cos he's had a teensy, weensy," she indicated her idea of a teensy, weensy bit with her finger and thumb, "bit too much to drink, so he'll disappear, James is smart so he'll get smarter, Nikola," she shook her head but stopped quickly when the room began to spin. "I don't know what his problem is, he wants the world to kiss his feet I reckon and if that means vampires then that means vampires. You've got a lot of work to do I think, or you think you do maybe, so you'd better have the time to do it in, I think, and John, John, John, John," she sighed.

"Don't look at me like that," Ashley said to her mother, interrupting her recollection of the evening. "You got drunk too and took us for a tour of the Sanctuary."

"Then what happened?" asked Druitt, enjoying her story. "I don't remember any of this happening before, not in my memory. Do you?" he asked Magnus. She shook her head.

"We went to the Sanctuary and Helen kept asking about the blood, what happens with it, why didn't I want them to take it."

"And?"

"I demonstrated. I teleported into the containment area and rescued the sloth. You'd have wanted me to," she said in response to the glare her mother was giving her. "You should have seen it. It was lonely in there all on its own."

"It was in quarantine! God knows what tropical diseases you've inflicted upon London."

"How did it get from there to the column?" asked Druitt, eager to hear the whole story.

"Stop encouraging her," Magnus said.

"She doesn't need encouraging, she's managing just fine on her own so far," said Druitt.

"Well, naturally they didn't believe their eyes and wanted me to do it again, but the sloth was asleep and I didn't want to wake him up, so Nigel decided we should put him where he wouldn't be disturbed and we should hide him too. Make him feel more at home, like he was in the trees."

"With green paint?"

"Exactly. Admittedly, it made more sense last night."

"So basically, you have told them everything."

"No," she protested. "They don't know you're here or who I am, and man, James is quick on figuring stuff out even without super powers. He would have worked it out if the truth hadn't been so crazy."

"They know that you're after the blood, can teleport and in 20 years time when Einstein releases his theory of relativity and then when men land on the moon, they'll know that you came from the future."

"The point I was making somewhere is, if Helen hasn't gone to Dover, where is she?" asked Ashley, trying to drag the conversation back on topic.

"The ship must dock on the Thames. Maybe she's gone to collect the serum from the Captain rather than wait for it to be delivered. They may attempt to take the serum before there can be any further interference," said Magnus, admitting, "It's what I would do."

"Why is she so fixated on this serum?" asked Ashley.

Magnus sighed. She finally had to explain herself to one of her harshest and most devoted critics.

"I was dazzled by the brilliance of the idea, we were going to reach out and physically touch the unknown. It was to be the greatest exploration of our lives, of the world. We," she corrected herself, "I, thought I was so clever that nothing could go wrong. It couldn't possibly fail. How wrong I was."

"What about the others?" asked Druitt.

"John, Nigel and James were going to the cricket today and Nikola was here."

"Of course," said Druitt, remembering. "It's the fourth test. England will win by twenty seven runs."

"You know, when you talk about cricket, no one knows what you're talking about," Ashley pointed out for him.

"I have discovered, I frequently don't know what you're talking about either," he countered.

"We'll go to the docks and get to the ship before I do," said Magnus. "I will go in my place."

"What if she beats us to it? We could mug her," suggested Druitt.

"We're not going to mug Mom!" Ashley was shocked at the suggestion. "It's a long shot but I think I know how to persuade her not to do it," said Ashley.

"Because of the high success rate so far?," said Magnus. "How exactly?"

"I'm not gonna tell you, I might need to use it one day," she smirked. "You can leave it to me if it comes down to it."

"Ashley."

"It's all under control. I can get her to change her mind."

"I don't think you can."

"Maybe, maybe not. I've still got two cards left up my sleeve, and they are both doozies."

Magnus was worried.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The trio made their way to the bustling Royal Albert Dock on the Thames. Ships lined the quay, just arrived from all the corners of the Empire. The place was a hive of activity with ships offloading exotic cargoes and strange and wonderful wares. Colourful wildlife squawked and screeched and intense scents and sounds filled the air. Crates and barrels were piled up high all over the place, under the watchful eye of the quartermaster. A team of policemen patrolled the quays keeping an eye out for thieves, drunken sailors and other trouble makers. The time travellers didn't appear so out of place in this melting pot of cultures and meeting of new worlds. They looked positively normal compared to some of the passengers disembarking from the ships.

"The ship we're looking for is the 'Ozymandias'," said Magnus. "Keep a look out for Helen, she will be waiting for the ship to arrive also."

"Where would you go if you were her? I mean, you are her but, you know...," she frowned. "I think I like you better than I do her."

"Thank you, Ashley," said Magnus with an amused grin. "'Gallions', is the hotel where the first class passengers wait until their ships are ready to set sail. She may be there."

"Then we'll avoid that, simple."

"There it is."

Magnus pointed to a ship at the end on the quay. Judging from the activity on deck it had arrived only recently.

"They must have had a good wind off the cape. Wait here and keep a look out, if Helen shows up, distract her."

"I'll distract her all right. I'll push her in the freakin' dock."

"Ashley, that won't be necessary."

"She deserves it! She started all this."

"She did not. You did, trying to sabotage her work."

"Are you sticking up for her?" Ashley asked suspiciously.

"Of course not," protested Magnus, slightly amused at having to defend her other self.

"Well she's trying to sabotage your life so you'd better hurry up unless you want her to take a swim," Ashley said, huffily.

Druitt positioned himself at the entrance to the quayside, so as to observe anyone who headed for the ship. Ashley wandered around the rest of the wharf looking and perhaps hoping, for trouble. She peered into discretely covered cages emitting strange noises, she'd bet there were a few abnormals in some of them. Foreign languages surrounded her and the air was filled with multilingual chatter as she took in the strange sights. Normally, sailors would be a source of great interest to her but alas, these were merchant ships and sadly the sailors were not in uniform. It wouldn't have made much difference if they had been, she was distracted by the task at hand and kept glancing over to the 'Ozymandias' anxiously waiting for her mothers return.

Ashley could see her mother on the deck of the ship gesticulating wildly, arguing with the unfortunate Captain. She couldn't make out what was being said, so decided to head back to her father. As she made her way along the wharf, a man concealed under a dark cloak bumped into her as he hurried past.

"Hey, watch it," said Ashley, peering after the man with suspicion. He seemed familiar.

The man hurried on and she caught a glimpse of his face. It was hidden, wrapped in white bandages. He lifted an arm up to pull his hood further down over his face and she saw his arm, also bandaged. She recognised his clothes from somewhere, somewhere being the night before at the party. Cold, harsh reality seeped in. They were Nigel's clothes, it was Nigel Walker and he was bandaged to hide his invisibility. Ashley stared after him as he ran from the docks, dismay etched on her face as she realised her plan had failed. It was over. They had taken the serum, Nigel was already invisible.

Magnus and Druitt found her staring into the distance after him, but Nigel had long gone. Magnus explained that the Captain had already given the package to a Doctor Magnus. Ashley turned to face them, visibly devastated by the revelation. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stammered out the words.

"I know," she sobbed. "It's too late. They've already done it."

"What are you talking about?"

"They've taken the serum already. We changed the timeline by simply being here, they knew I was looking for the blood so they did it earlier than planned."

They stood on the bustling dock, the world going about its business unaware of the fact that the bottom had just fallen out of Ashley's world. She cried helplessly in front of them. Druitt handed her a clean handkerchief which she covered her face with, unable to stop the tears.

"They are young, naive and determined. Remind you of anyone?" said Magnus. "I can't stop you if you want to do something I think is stupid, but you can't stop _them_ either. Where do you think you get it from?"

Magnus went to take her arm but she shook it off, not wanting any comfort and perhaps unfairly, perhaps not, blaming her for the whole bloody mess. She ran off into the crowd. Druitt and Magnus watched her go, not noticing Helen watching them from the top floor window of one of the buildings on the dockside.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Wait until I catch up with her," growled Magnus.

"Who? Ashley?"

"No, Helen bloody Magnus, making my daughter cry."

Druitt looked at her and felt slightly sorry for the Helen who was going to somehow reap the wrath of this mother on the warpath. Her face was thunderous but rather than be angry at the failure of the plan, she was furious that someone, anyone, had the nerve to upset Ashley so much. Ironic that she herself was the only person with that ability. He watched with a grin as she stormed into the crowd on the quay, heading in the direction Ashley had gone. It might be interesting to see Helen confront herself.

Druitt stood awhile in uffish thought, a deep sigh escaped him. If the Five had already taken the blood then what was there left for them to do here? His chance at salvation was lost. All he had left was Ashley.

Helen watched all from the top floor of the Victoria Tavern as Ashley ran off. The girl was clearly upset over something. She must have just discovered the serum was gone. The couple she was with were dressed as strangely as she was, maybe they were her parents she had previously mentioned. She couldn't see the man's face, only the back of his head. He was tall and held himself confidently, peering over the top of the crowds after Ashley. The woman she couldn't see clearly, did she know her from somewhere? The window of her room at the tavern was filthy and the glass thick, distorting the view. Thankfully, now she had the serum she could leave the grotty dock area, she looked along the street waiting for her carriage to arrive.

She watched as Ashley's mother walked away, her body language screaming 'Get out of the way!' to anyone in her path. The man stood awhile then turned and looked directly at the window she stood at. Helen stepped back hurriedly. He knew he was being watched. He too, stepped into the crowd and disappeared in the bustling throng.

Helen stepped through the doorway and bumped into the man who was trying to enter the door at the same time. Seeing who it was she threw herself thankfully into his arms.

"Helen, are you all right?" John Druitt asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure. Thank you for coming."

"Of course, Helen, what on earth is the matter?"

When she didn't answer he took her chin in his hand and lifted it so she was looking at him.

"I have the source blood. We can begin soon."

He nodded. He had never been a big supporter of the idea but knew how much it meant to Helen and so perhaps against his better judgement, went along with it.

"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked. She seemed unsure.

"There's something I need to do first, someone I need to talk to." She had remembered Ashley's words from the park. Who would be her father, 'John' she had answered immediately. "Will you come with me?"

"It would be my pleasure," he smiled at her.

"Oh, but aren't you supposed to be at the cricket?"

"We had to come back early. I've just dropped Nigel off. He saw the story in the newspaper about vandals in Trafalgar Square and was getting paranoid that someone would question him about the green paint. It won't come off his skin, how he got it all over his face and arms I'll never know, he must have been swimming in it. He has bandaged himself like a mummy and says he'll pretend to be a leper until it scrubs off. Besides," he said with a smile, "I would much prefer to spend the day with you."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and he hugged her to him.

"Where are we going?" he asked her. Something was clearly troubling her.

"Home."

* * *

Ashley paced the roof of the Magnus house waiting for her parents to return from the docks. As she stalked around the rooftop her hurt and frustration turned to anger. She'd had enough, this plan sucked. This place sucked, this time sucked, big time. How could something so simple turn out to be so difficult? She glowered at an innocent pigeon which had the nerve to land on a nearby chimney pot. The sound of voices from the house below saved the pigeon from an ill tempered kick off the rooftop.

Ashley made her way to the skylight and climbed down into the attic, fully prepared to teleport the three of them home. It would be a relief to get out of this mess. One of the perks of teleporting, get out of jail free card for any situation. Maybe that's one of the reasons her father had liked his gift so much. He could do anything he could imagine with it. She dropped to the floor and looked over at her parents who were standing facing her.

"I've had enough of this shit hole. Let's go home."

They didn't reply, not even to tell her to watch her language, just stared past her with the strangest expression on their faces, gazes fixed behind her.

"What are you...?"

She turned, totally unprepared for the scene which set itself in front of her. Ashley stood in the middle of the attic between Helen, Magnus, John and Druitt. The two Helens had their guns drawn, pointed at each other.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ashley stood in the centre of the four, her arms held out as though to hold them back. Helen and John on one side, Magnus and Druitt on the other.

"What the hell are you doing? Put the guns down," she said as though puzzled no one else had realised it was a really bad idea. No one moved a muscle.

"You can't shoot each other it would totally balls up everything!" she shouted at the two women. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart ones."

With a snarl Ashley teleported and within two seconds had jumped in front of each mother and snatched the guns from their hands. She stood to the side of them with the weapons in her arms.

"There will be no shooting of anyone. Do I need to take knives off you two as well?" she asked Druitt and John. John stared open mouthed in shock. Druitt chuckled raising his hands, protesting his innocence.

"In this instance it's not me you should be worried about," inclining his head, indicating Magnus.

John and Helen stared in horrified amazement at their doubles, who were in turn watching them with avid interest. Buzzing from the teleport Ashley furiously turned to face Helen.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glowering at her still hurting from the betrayal.

Helen could only stare open mouthed at what she had found in her attic. However Ashley's words managed to penetrate through the shock and hurt her, the emotion visible in her eyes.

"You are in my attic," stated Helen, not quite in control of her thoughts as they ran wildly all over the place.

"It's our attic too," snapped Ashley.

Perhaps empathically, a thought came from nowhere and screamed to the front of Magnus' brain. She acted on it instantly. Magnus leaned over and whispered in Ashley's ear.

"I would be heartbroken if you ever spoke to me like that."

Silence descended upon the gathering as Magnus' whisper sank into Ashley's mind. None of the others knew what to say, what to think or what to do. Having dealt with all four of the assembly Ashley was marginally less stunned than the others.

"Your nose is bleeding," said Helen quietly, with a hint of worry to her voice. She had been staring helplessly at Ashley, her daughter. She had a daughter! She would have gone over to help her were it not for Magnus standing at her shoulder watching over her. Anyone else in the world but her.

"It's OK," said Ashley. She pulled out Druitt's handkerchief which had turned filthy since the short while at the dock and wiped it. "It does that sometimes, it's OK," she repeated trying to convince herself. Magnus was not fooled and neither was Helen. Feeling slightly ashamed of the way she had spoken to her own mother, well the Helen version, she decided to help them out.

"There's a perfectly good explanation for this," Ashley declared unwisely trying to do something, anything to get them through this situation and deflect attention from her nose.

All four looked at Ashley, each knowing her well enough by now to be intrigued as to what possible reason she would invent to explain it. Ashley thought frantically, her imagination working overtime. What could be a credible answer? There was absolutely none so she wildly clutched at straws.

"Human cloning?" she asked, the inflection in her voice asking if anyone would be stupid enough to fall for that.

"Ashley," said Helen and Magnus at the same time. They glared at each other.

"OK," she admitted defeat. It had been a long stretch. All attempts at pretence were gone, only the truth remained. "Don't anyone touch!" demanded Ashley. "The universe might implode. Boy, was this the worst idea ever."

"It's only _now_ you realise this?" asked Magnus in amazement.

"I'm not the one talking to myself."

She looked from one Helen to another and then from one John to another. And shook her head as though clearing her vision from seeing double.

"Wow. You really do look exactly like each other. I don't like it. This is freaking me out. I think I'll sit this one out," and stepped back out of the circle they made.

The four looked their counterparts up and down in amazement. Magnus glared at herself, angry that this Helen had made Ashley cry. She couldn't get the image of Ashley distraught and in tears out of her mind. Helen stared back unflinchingly, wondering why she was so angry at herself.

"You took the blood then," said Magnus coldly, breaking the ice.

"No," said Helen, warily conceding the truth. "We haven't taken the serum, yet."

Ashley came and stood between Magnus and Druitt, surprise written all over her face. She had not foreseen this.

"But I saw Nigel. He was bandaged up to hide his invisibility."

"He is covered in paint, he is under the impression he will be arrested for vandalising a war memorial," said Helen, ever calm and collected even under this unusual fire.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" asked John, who up until now had been mesmerised by Druitt. "What do you want?"

Ashley snorted, he asked that like they were aliens or something. Feeling better now she knew they hadn't taken the serum, she could enjoy the moment more than the others.

"Who are we? We come in peace," she grinned. "And what do _I_ want? Honestly, right now all I want is a bacon double cheeseburger with a chocolate milkshake. Do you know what I had for breakfast this morning? Oatmeal. That's not even food, it's like horse feed or something."

"Ashley," said Magnus.

"OK, I'm just saying."

"No," said John. "Who are you?" he asked Ashley directly.

She was lost for words and stared at him open mouthed. Of course, he didn't know. It was clear to anyone with half an eye Magnus and Druitt were Helen and John, but John didn't know about Ashley. Helen had gleaned much more information than he and had guessed but hadn't believed her own thoughts or Ashley's fantastical hints.

"Ummm."

They all looked at Helen.

"Just a moment." She took John's arm and led him back a few steps where they conferred in hushed whispers and she caught him up to speed with the rest of them.

Ashley stepped back and regrouped with Druitt and Magnus.

"Let me guess," she whispered to Magnus. "You didn't agree to marry him cos of his brains." Magnus glared at her. "What are we going to do now?" she asked them, ignoring the glare.

"Tell them," said Druitt.

"Don't tell them, lets just get out of here," said Magnus.

"What are you doing?" Ashley asked her mother. She had noticed how annoyed Magnus was at Helen. "They're not the enemy. I can't believe you're mad at yourself, she hasn't even done anything wrong, yet."

"Don't you dare defend her, she deliberately went out of her way to deceive you, get you drunk, trick you..."

Ashley cut her off before she could list all the ways Helen had infuriated her.

"Look, this was my idea and I admit it's got out of hand but we're stuck with it. I'll do the talking. Try not to bitch at yourself and you," she said to Druitt. "Try not to look so much like a psycho."


	22. Chapter 22

_I've been quite blown away by recent reviews. Thanks for letting me know what you think and I'm really pleased you're enjoying it. Or are you just annoyed by cliffhangers? =P_

* * *

Chapter 22

They stepped back into position, like two warring factions facing off. War or peace? John and Ashley exchanged small, shy grins. It hadn't really sunk in yet for John, there were too many strange happenings coming at him from left, right and centre but he felt quite pleased about this revelation and took it in his easy stride. Magnus stepped closer to Ashley sending a clear message to Helen. Helen was to be under no illusion, Ashley belonged to Magnus, back off.

"We want the serum," said Ashley.

"Yes, I know," said Helen. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

"It's not like I didn't drop enough hints and you knew! Why else did you have John and Nikola spy on me?"

"I've not had anyone spying on you," she said, looking slightly puzzled at the suggestion. "Nikola came to see you because he was worried about you not knowing anyone in London," explained Helen. "I don't know what you mean about John."

John was transfixed by Druitt. How did he end up like that? His entire presence was brooding menace, and he didn't look very impressed with his younger self. John tore his eyes away to look at Ashley for a moment.

"Oh, the cricket? Helen didn't ask me to keep an eye on you, I just thought you might like it," he said simply.

"Oh," she looked slightly embarrassed, then thought for a second. "I would like to take this opportunity to point out to both of you, before and after," she looked from John to Druitt. "That as much as you love cricket you need to know that to everyone else in the world, cricket is the most boring sport ever invented."

The looks on their faces mirrored each other, they didn't believe her and never would. John stepped forward closer to Druitt to get a better look at his scar.

"Hey, get back," said Ashley jumpily, although slightly mollified by the revelation he hadn't tried to spy on her. "No moving from your spots."

"What happened to your face?" he asked Druitt, burning with curiosity.

"I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," said Druitt, ominously.

"What happens if we don't take the serum?" Helen asked the unlikely trio in front of her. Magnus and Druitt looked at Ashley.

"I have no idea," she admitted, shrugging.

"What happens if we do? You are born and are standing here with both your parents. What is wrong with that? What is wrong with them, with us, that you have tried so hard to change?"

Ashley turned to Magnus.

"See, this is why I just wanted to steal it to start with then I wouldn't have to flipping well discuss it. Nick it and bam. Gone."

She turned back to Helen and then looked at Druitt whose return glance indicated his interest in her answer. They all followed Ashley's focus and looked at Druitt. He calmly stared back from one to the other.

"Tell them. This is why we are here after all, is it not?"

Ashley looked at her father. Should she tell them? To give them warning of what would come could tarnish their choices in life. Could she kick her father before he was even down? Would it save him or make it worse? She looked from one set of parents to the other.

"I don't know what to do," she looked to her mother for help but could see that Magnus for once didn't know what to do or say either.

She turned and looked at Druitt again. She had come after all to help both her parents. Both her parents, not both sets of her parents. Despite her hesitation there was no question really and there never had been. She realised her decision and knowingly chose her side.

"What's wrong with them?" She took a deep breath. "They're totally messed up, completely hopeless, emotionally retarded, stubborn, arrogant, old fashioned, bossy, stuck in their ways, they completely disregard everything I say," she was getting far too engrossed in her rant.

Magnus cleared her throat to remind Ashley exactly who was standing behind her.

"And they're mine," she finished off. "Whatever way we end up standing here, no matter what happens _they are mine_. And I think I've just realised, you're not. Not yet."

Helen gave her a wistful look, one day she would be. She had recently realised to whom Ashley's fierce loyalty belonged and in a strange way it was and wasn't her, yet.

"Why can't we take the serum?" Helen asked her straight out.

"I've already told you," said Ashley referring to the day in the park where she had told Helen everything without her knowing it. She didn't want to say it again in front of everyone.

"Tell me again," Helen demanded, putting the pressure on. "You still haven't told us what happens to John, he's the lynchpin of this isn't he? What happens to John?"

John looked around nervously, well aware everyone knew something he did not and it was something he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Magnus didn't like Helen's tone but was well aware of what she was doing. She wouldn't let them leave until all had been revealed. Magnus was in the unenviable position of knowing every single person in the room better than anyone else there and had a fair idea of how this was all going to turn out. Ashley looked questioningly at Druitt.

"I've already done this once," he growled, not happy with this line of questioning. "I'm not doing it again."

With his temper deteriorating the atmosphere changed from surreal suspicion and gained a dangerous tension. Helen and John noticed anxiety come over Ashley at his change of mood. Druitt was dreading seeing the same heartbreaking look on Helen's face again and couldn't face it on Ashley's. He turned away and stepped out of the circle into the shadows of the attic glancing at Magnus as he did, she didn't look any more enthusiastic about this than he was.

"Excuse me," said John, into the awkward silence. "You all seem to have more of an idea of what is going on than I do. What is going on?"

Helen was busy watching Magnus, curious as to where her relationship with Druitt stood. Ashley was the only one who answered him.

"We're from the future," she said in a subdued tone.

"I understand that part, so to speak and as bizarre as it is. How did you get here?" His voice was gentle, trying not to upset her further.

"I can teleport through time," she said quietly. "Sort of. It's a bit hit and miss."

"I... see. Is that because of the serum? I would presume so, it's not a normal everyday infliction."

"Yeah," she muttered, her mind distracted with worry about Druitt.

"Does your nose always bleed after teleporting?" Helen asked her. She was steadily piecing more bits of the puzzle together, remembering back to when she had met Ashley outside her house a few days ago with blood on her nose.

"Sometimes."

"What happens to me?" John asked her.

She sighed. This was getting to be a broken record.

"You don't need to know. You shouldn't be playing about with weird substances."

"What really happens?"

"Your hair falls out."

"Tell me the truth Ashley, why don't you want me to take it?" John asked her again.

Druitt stepped forward from the shadows and decisively ended their interrogation of his daughter with a bang.

"You are driven insane from the teleporting and go on a bloody, murderous rampage."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Druitt stood next to Ashley, his arm rested nonchalantly on her shoulder, alternating his piercing gaze between John and Helen.

"You are driven insane from the teleporting and go on a bloody, murderous rampage."

Magnus stepped forward about to intervene then stopped as Druitt caught her eye. With one look she understood what he was about to do. She nodded. He was going to finish what Ashley had come here to do for him but now could not bring herself to. She wondered if he had to look quite so menacing as he did it. John was watching him with slack jawed horror, unable to look away and stop what he was hearing.

"Your so called 'gift' will be teleportation. You will become enthralled with your newfound ability. You will push it to the extreme, faster, further, higher. The exhilaration is intense, like nothing imaginable on this Earth. With every jump it will take your mind to dizzying new heights and then twist it with such pain you will be driven mad with it. You will lose everything, every semblance of control until you have no choice but to embrace it."

Ashley tried in vain to stop him from going further.

"No stop it. You don't understand, they don't need to know."

He ignored her and continued. She had no choice but to listen as he revealed the dark truth.

"One night after a particularly spectacular teleportation marathon, you will teleport back to London and find yourself in an unknown but soon to be notorious, alley in Whitechapel. There is a young lady taking a short cut home in the dark. She witnesses your unconventional mode of arrival, she will tell _everyone_," he hissed in a malevolent whisper.

An ice cold shiver trickled down John's spine. Every muscle in his body tensed, preparing him for what exactly he did not know. His feet were dead weights holding him to the spot as he stood there and listened, powerless.

Helen eyes were fixed on Magnus. She was standing perfectly still, her face expressionless and her eyes unseeing, reliving a far off memory. Eventually Magnus met her eyes with a stone cold stare. Helen realised that this woman had long ago lost the man she loved as they all listened with captivated horror.

"They will all know what you can do, hunt you down, try and take it away. All your power, all your freedom. You have to stop her, take out your knife and then teleport behind her before she has a chance to scream..."

"Enough!" Ashley shoved Druitt away from her, unable to listen to any more. There were tears in her eyes.

"Get out," her voice was shaking as she ordered him away. They glared at each other.

"What's the matter Ashley?" he asked mockingly. "Can't stomach it? There are seven more to go and we haven't even got to the best bit, when Helen catches me red handed so to speak."

The spell which had been cast over the attic was broken, they found themselves able to breathe again.

"John," said Magnus quietly. To everyone's amazement he obeyed her, albeit chuckling to himself as he made his way to the roof.

Ashley glowered at the floor, her teeth gritted trying desperately not to cry. A drop of blood dripped from her nose to the ground.

"Your nose is still bleeding," said Helen quietly, breaking the terrible silence. She was worried but unwilling to walk over because of Magnus standing next to her, watching over Ashley like a sentinel. John silently handed Ashley a clean handkerchief, he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with anyone. Helen watched helplessly, taking in every small detail about Ashley. She was an extraordinary young woman to have come this far for them.

"Come on," said Magnus, putting a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "They know what happens. Time to go."

"No. You don't understand," she gulped, trying to stop her voice from shaking. "That idiot. I figured it out, they didn't need to know. It doesn't matter, it doesn't make any difference."

They all stared at her. Was she changing her mind? Surely this was her entire purpose in being here. What was she doing?

"It's too late," she was talking almost to herself as the others listened on. "It has always been too late. It's already happened no matter what changes. Time travel is useless, it can't be changed because we're already here."

She glanced at the skylight and then turned to Magnus, trying to make her understand.

"This isn't important. We're already here. This is not what is important. I need to tell him it doesn't matter."

Magnus shook her head, she couldn't understand what Ashley was trying to get at. Ashley took a deep breath to compose herself. She turned to John and Helen.

"He's not that bad. He was, but he's not anymore," she said, still defiantly defending him, as everyone noted.

Ashley walked over to John, who had an air about him like a man on his way to the gallows, it was as though a cloud had just come and blotted out the sun in his world. She whispered something in his ear. He listened intently, carefully memorising everything she told him. Magnus and Helen were intrigued by the expressions running over his face as he listened closely. She stepped back in front of him. He nodded his head in a bow feeling slightly relieved she was so bloody stubborn and was clearly not ever going to give up on him.

"As you wish," he said with a small smile. She smiled back at him and went back to Magnus' side.

"What about the serum?" Helen asked.

"I know you think it will be the greatest challenge of your life but screw the serum, it's nothing but trouble. Take it or don't, it's up to you. Just... try harder."

Helen's laugh rang out through the roof space, clearing the heavy atmosphere Druitt had left behind.

"The greatest challenge of my life? I've a funny feeling that will be you," she said smiling at Ashley.

Magnus' matching smile showed that she agreed with that sentiment. Ashley looked from one mother to the other.

"I'm not sure if I was just insulted or not."

"Come on," said Magnus gently.

"I'll catch up in a minute?" Ashley sought Magnus' permission.

"A minute."

Magnus hesitated for a moment taking a last look at the anxious but innocent John and then turned to Helen with a ghost of a sympathetic smile.

"Fair warning, Doctor Magnus."

Helen nodded to her, and with that Magnus left the attic and her old world behind, leaving Ashley to say her goodbyes.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Magnus walked across the roof to where Druitt stood lost in thought, his mind light years away. He was stunned to find Magnus's hand slip into his, he could only stare at her in astonishment.

"Are you all right?" She asked him.

He nodded dumbly.

"It's all right. She'll understand," she said referring to Ashley's outburst. "She let you into her life knowing the truth."

"She must hate me," he almost choked on the emotion in his words.

"She doesn't hate you, quite the opposite in fact. Weren't you listening in there? She came all this way, fought all these battles for you and then when it came down to it she chose you. Before and after your gratuitous outburst. She refused to sacrifice you, this you here," she tapped him on his chest. "Her father, not someone she has never known. She chose you, John."

He stared into her blue eyes unable to speak. With his full attention Magnus continued to talk and revealed a secret she had been keeping to herself for the past 125 years.

"I want you to know, I have never stopped looking for a way to help you. I search every abnormal I come across, study their biology, their physiology, to see how their abnormality affects their brain function. I haven't found the answer yet, but I'll never stop looking. I haven't given up on you John."

He opened his mouth to reply but they were interrupted by a voice rising up from the open skylight. They shared an exasperated smile as they heard Ashley spelling out a name below.

"F-O-S-S."

"Ashley!" called Magnus in warning.

"I'll get her," offered Druitt with a wry smile which was duly returned.

* * *

"I gotta go. Those two can't be left alone for five minutes or they'll be pushing each other off the roof or something. In the nicest possible way of course." Oh great, she thought, I've really got to learn to shut up sometimes.

Ashley took a deep breath as she carefully scrutinised her one-day-to-be parents and imprinted every detail about them on her brain. She went over to Helen and hugged her, Helen returning it fiercely not wanting to let her go. Ashley smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek. She felt a little shaky, this was turning out harder than she thought it would be. There were tears in Helen's eyes which she tried to blink back.

"See you later," said Ashley softly with a warm smile.

Next she turned and walked over to John who was still shell shocked from the horrific revelations, it couldn't be a simple thing to digest, the knowledge that you're a notorious rampaging serial killer. Seeing her standing before him he shyly gave her a tentative, lopsided grin and she mirrored it perfectly. She hugged him and he returned it with relief. She stepped back and looked long and hard at her father and all he had been. He didn't know what his future held or what would happen now, but he was going to try and change it for the better. She whispered to him.

"Get a move on and marry her."

Ashley thought of her father as he was now, edgy but calm, irritable but funny and pretty cool in a weird kind of way. She knew that she loved him whichever way he ended up and no matter what. She wondered if he knew that.

She walked away headed after her current parents, then paused and turned back to face the young couple. She pulled her camera phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture of the two of them standing watching her with bemused expressions on their faces.

"If in 125-ish years your daughter asks to go and break into Cabal headquarters, don't let her. And then double check because she'll sneak off and do it anyway. And when she's nine years old and asks for a dirt bike you should consider it for more than like, two seconds. And look up Henry Foss, he's very important. F-O-S-S."

"Ashley!" Magnus called from the roof.

Druitt leaned back through the skylight and took hold of the back of her jacket, pulling her backwards. She turned and their eyes met. His said, 'Sorry', hers, 'Forgiven'.

"And tell her truth about her father before she finds out for herself."

John was unsettled even further by Druitt's gaze boring in to him.

"You," said Druitt in goodbye, "Are a bloody idiot," And with that he helped Ashley onto the roof.

Ashley could be heard calling back to John.

"And get a haircut!"

John and Helen turned to each other sharing a bewildered look.

"125 years?" murmured Helen.

"Dirt bike?"

John chuckled at the absurdity of the whole thing. Ashley had come into his life like a whirlwind and made more than one thing crystal clear to him, the most important being:

"So, will you marry me?"

Helen smiled.

Things were already changing in some ways, but in others remaining the same.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Magnus, Druitt and Ashley stood on the Magnus family's rooftop trying to compose themselves after the ludicrous experience they had all just somehow survived. They were all equally shaken by the entire encounter. Their next move would be to turn themselves into swirling particles of cosmic dust, which was not best attempted with a shaken disposition.

"I'm proud of you," said Magnus, her eyes on Ashley who was sneaking a sideways look at Druitt.

"You are?" She looked confused. "I deliberately got us trapped here and tried to interfere with your life and ended up making an even bigger mess of everything."

"When it came down to it, you figured it out. Everyone has to make their own decisions. You can't do it for them."

"Couldn't you just have told me that to begin with and saved us a lot of trouble?"

"I don't think I realised it myself to start with. Anyhow, would you have listened?"

"No. But I still failed." She sounded resigned.

"I don't think you failed," said Magnus.

"How do you figure that out? I didn't destroy the source blood."

"No, but that's not what you came here to do. You came to stop them from taking it, and you have made them stop and think about it. Maybe that's all you could do. Maybe you can't change history, but you can change the people who change history."

Ashley gave her a rueful smile. She had been pretty blind this whole time, she had her parents already. It was better than not having them at all.

"What did you mean back there?" asked Magnus. "You said it wouldn't make a difference if they knew."

"I meant a difference to us. We're here. They are there."

"What does that mean?" asked Druitt, baffled.

"You're here now standing in front of me. That's what matters, not what happened in the past. There is only now."

Magnus was trying not to laugh but couldn't hide the smile from her eyes as Ashley awkwardly tried to tell Druitt she loved him just as he was. Druitt stared at Ashley as though seeing her for the first time.

"Are you telling me that I didn't have to do that?" he asked in disbelief, pointing to the skylight. "We've been through all this trouble only for you to find out that you had what you wanted all along?"

"Well I wouldn't have found out if I hadn't gone through all that in the first place now would I?"

Her parents were officially dumbfounded.

"And you know what? You're not that bad as you are, you could be worse. I don't know if it would have worked, me with them. Those two are too squeaky clean."

It wasn't often someone managed to surprise Magnus or Druitt, and certainly not the both of them at the same time. Ashley seemed to have found the knack for it. Squeaky clean? They didn't know what to say to that offhand comment.

"What did you say to John?" Magnus asked her knowing she wouldn't have given everything up that easily.

Ashley smirked.

"You'll find out when we get home. Whatever happens, happens. Want to do something fun before we go? C'mon Mom, you can show me London, old school style. What do people do for fun here? Because I sure haven't managed to figure out what it is."

"We could go to the cricket," suggested Druitt hopefully.

"We are not," Ashley snorted in disgust.

Before an argument could break out over the pros and cons of cricket, Magnus intervened.

"We are going home."

"Wait," said Ashley. "Before we do, I was wondering. There's something that's been bugging me this whole time."

They waited expectantly. Was she going to ask them awkward questions? Ask about their lives in London? How they met? How they split?

"What colour is my swirl?"

Magnus and Druitt exchanged a bewildered glance. What was she blathering on about now?

"You know," she noticed their bemusement. "The smoky bit after you teleport."

"I hadn't noticed, to be honest," said Druitt.

Ashley looked offended.

"Well yours is red!" She huffed at him. She waited for Magnus' answer.

"I have no idea," she admitted. "Is it important?"

"That's not the point. The point is, is it cool? Oh forget it, let's go."

Ashley held out her hand to Magnus.

"Are you certain you can do this?"

"Sure. We can go anywhere you want, meet anyone you want. What about Einstein?!"

Magnus did not look amused. "I've already met Einstein thank you and I think it the best for humanity if you stay as far away from him as possible. I was under the impression you had problems focusing on your destination."

"It's all cool. I teleported back to the Sanctuary by accident days ago, gave Henry the fright of his life," she snickered at the memory.

"You have known you can do this all along?"

She gave her mother a cheeky grin.

"I'm not saying we couldn't still end up in oblivion, but you know, fingers crossed and all that."

She held out her right hand to Druitt.

"Wait a moment, let me get this straight. Who do you like better, him or me?" He asked having just translated her earlier explanation so it made sense.

"You're the same person," she pointed out.

"I just want to hear it again and make certain."

"You."

"Who do you think is handsomer, him or me?"

She rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand and teleported.

John stuck his head out through the skylight and surveyed the roof. They had gone.

* * *

Magnus, Druitt and Ashley flashed into existence in Magnus' study, startling Henry who was sitting at Magnus' desk, engrossed in sensor readings on the computer while simultaneously playing solitaire.

"Huh?" He said to no one in particular, maybe to himself. He stared at them as they picked themselves off the floor and tried to compose themselves, still reeling from the teleport.

"What colour was it? Henry, what colour?!" Ashley asked him excitedly as she scrambled up off the floor. He stared at her blankly.

"The swirl, Henry! Oh you're all blind." She swayed around trying to find her balance, even this could not stop her from talking. "You would not believe where we've been, although that was like the vacation from hell and officially the best one I have ever been on." She grinned at him.

They all looked around expectantly searching for any evidence of change they may have affected. Only Henry stared back at them.

"What are you doing?" he asked, fascinated. They had apparently all gone mad.

"Are you OK? Has anything happened? Is it different?" asked Ashley.

"Is what different?"

"You know, here."

"What are you talking about? You know you want to stop doing that teleporting thing, it's making you sound deranged. Although that's nothing new."

"Are you telling me after all that, it didn't work?!"

"What didn't work?"

She tried to teleport, but just stayed in the same spot making weird faces.

"Nothings happening, it's not working."

She looked at Druitt who also attempted to teleport. Nothing happened. He looked around with a puzzled expression as though he was listening for something. He staggered forward as though something he had been leaning on had been taken away from him.

"What is going on?" demanded Ashley.

"Shhh," said Druitt. "Can you hear that?"

They all listened carefully, without knowing what it was they were listening for. Ashley sniffed and rubbed her nose, it had stopped bleeding.

"It's gone quiet."

"What do you mean?" asked Magnus.

"The noise, it's stopped."

"What noise?"

He dared to allow a smile to cross his face.

"The roar. That infernal cacophony, it's gone. I can hear my own thoughts."

Druitt's words gradually permeated into their consciousness.

John Druitt was free.

* * *

Gregory Magnus stared into the waves breaking over the bow of the ship he had sought passage on, heading for the vast Indian Ocean. In his possession he had a vial of pure vampire blood. His intention was to hide it as far away from his brilliant daughter as possible. As though visitors from the future weren't complicated enough he had a hard time taking in the news about the source blood or how his beloved daughter could be and would be, stupid beyond belief. Either version of his daughter.

He had managed to get to the docks before Helen and convinced the Captain to switch the vial for a fake. The Captain had been relieved to find he hadn't had to lie to Helen or Magnus, a Dr. Magnus _had_ collected the source blood. Doctor Gregory Magnus.

**_End_**

* * *

Big shout out to everyone who reviewed. Thank you for your support, funny comments, incoherent squeeing and indignant outrage at cliff-hangers. It wouldn't be half as much fun without you.  
Future Echoes is dedicated to: CatzChaos, Misery Loves Sarah, Chocolate and Drama, SparklySkater, HEX's-VampirexXxDemon, melissaadams22, Serenity's Pain, Eternal Density, cj1013, Jasper'sFavorite, Miria, Fell4, forensicirulan, Jen Rock, Shykeiro, sandra-carter, Terra Young.


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